Who cares about Mr Palmer ?
by AimeeMcGee
Summary: New story about Jimmy Palmer, inspired by the Keep Going episode, S14 E13. It is only my humble opinion, but as much as I love NCIS (and the character of McGee), I've always felt that Jimmy was a lot left behind, so I wanted to do him justice, at least my own way. Enjoy ! Disclaimer : I do not own NCIS. The characters belong to D.P.B, and I make no money off this. Now complete.
1. Palmer and the frog

— That makes me think, Dr Mallard, of when I was young...Jimmy begun to laugh. There was this frog that I was trying to catch in the pond, in my village… My parents were so mad at me, because my clothes were so sticky when I came back for diner, and…

— Mr Palmer, Ducky interrupted him, I am glad that this current case is reminding you of some of your great childhood memories, but I am trying now to clean the body of our man the best way possible…

— That reminds me now of my mother, Jimmy barely listened and kept talking, I was telling her the whole story about my amazing afternoon while she was trying to clean me up, and she couldn't stop saying 'Damn it, Jimmy, could you wait a second and not move, I'm trying to clean your mess !' Oh, of course, he smiled, she was not just talking about my clothes. I had been walking for hours before coming home, so the floor of the living room was muddy like hell… I think she punished me for a week or two, I don't remember exactly how m…

— _Mr Palmer !_ Ducky insisted.

— Oh, sorry, Dr Mallard, I know you hear a lot of my stories, maybe I could tell this one to someone else…

— _Sure, why don't you do that…_ Ducky mumbled, eyes still focused on the body, while the automatic doors opened up on the other side.

Jethro walked inside the place and Jimmy then slightly jumped, facing Gibbs' famous so serious expression.

— Anything new, Ducky ?

— We're still cleaning the body, Agent Gibbs, Jimmy managed a big smile, we were precisely talking about a funny story this case made me think of… Do you know that when I was young, I think I wasn't more than ten and probably not taller than that, he funnily showed an imaginary height to Jethro, raising a palm in the air, I started running after a frog, and…

Gibbs expectedly revealed a silent, bored face to Mr Palmer, making him stop right away sharing his memory. Jimmy swallowed hardly and prepared himself for apologies, eyes staring at the man as if they were both ready for punishment, but Ducky simply continued the conversation, pointing a finger at the body, Gibbs instantly approaching him.

— Our Marin has been spending quite a long time in here, Jethro, according to the state of the skin, but I don't think I will find anything really interesting about him, I mean, concerning his death. As I already told you on the crime scene, you've noticed the presence of only one bullet, just here…I do have, of course, to make a thorough examination of him before giving you my final word, but it is more than likely that the reason for his death might have been what we both thought earlier : a contract.

— _It might be a suicide as well_ , Jimmy's voice interrupted the men's eye contact, I mean…he swallowed hardly again as he walked a bit forward, according to the wound's location… The gun has been pushed directly against the temple, right ? So it seems logical that it might indicate...

— A Marine is dead, Palmer, I don't believe in coincidences.

— I know, Agent Gibbs, but we cannot eliminate the big possibility of…

Gibbs' phone suddenly rang and Jethro immediately raised the item to his ear, leaving the room.

— _Yes, Gibbs…_

Jimmy sincerely smiled to Dr Mallard, still feeling a bit more relieved now that the big boss had left the space, and then approached the body again, helping the medical examiner with his task.

— Well, he chuckled nervously, he knows what he wants.

— _He knows, indeed, Mr Palmer…_

— But we cannot…I mean, he nervously smiled too, we have to take account of any possible…

— We have to be sure not to neglect any factors, Mr Palmer, but for now, I really need you to focus on your work in order to move on with the case.

— Of course, Dr Mallard. Let me hold this for you.

Ducky stepped back a little, grabbing a new tool between fingers, finally revealing a smile after such a moment of seriousness.

— Jethro has a very specific opinion about cases, especially when it concerns suicide, you shouldn't take personally his suspicions about your speech.

— But, Dr Mallard, Jimmy turned curiouser, that is not the first time we do find that Marines have killed themselves, is it ?

— That is not the first time, Mr Palmer, but I guess Jethro always thinks there might be another explanation, even when the final verdict is done. Marines seem to have this…'label', if I can say, of bravery that everyone is envying them, and with all these missions going on, with them constantly fighting against the enemy, I guess that it is fair enough to find it suspicious when a man in such a uniform finally embraces death…

— _Wow..._ even a talk about suicide seems quite poetic when you start speaking, Dr Mallard, Jimmy sincerely smiled. Really, everything that you say is full of deep wisdom… _I'm sorry_ , he shyly chuckled, I don't mean to look too clingy, but _I…_ I mean it, Dr Mallard.

— Well…he gently sighed, then all I can say is thank you for this kind compliment, Mr Palmer. To be honest with you, Ducky continued, pointing a new tool at Jimmy in order to get it, Mother once made me join a poetry contest, _oh it was certainly a long time ago, but…_

Jimmy begun smiling again at the revelation, honored to be the one listening to his mentor's memory, before a strange feeling finally crossed his mind and made him leave the real world for a minute or two...

— _Mr Palmer ?_ Ducky repeated.

— Uh ? Oh, sorry, Dr Mallard, could you say that again ?

— I was only asking for the scalpel, there is something just here that I would like to double check…

— Here it is, he quickly smiled. Sorry about that.

— That's alright…Ducky simply grabbed the tool, following his explanation. So we were only about five or six finalists on the second day, _the jury had decided to divide the competition into two parts, if I'm not wrong, and…_

Jimmy faced the wall for a dozen of seconds, uselessly staring at the closed automatic doors, a bitter chill of unfairness wrapping his heart, his mind strangely getting rid of the respect he always thought he should and would owe to the great man next to him… Another quick smile vanished after the opposite hands showed him something new to remember, and the room around him begun losing for a moment some of its interest... In fact, there was a question in his head that was pulling an invisible string of curiousness, a _very_ _simple_ one, but still logical enough to be asked…  
Jimmy discreetly sighed to what he thought might be a mark of disrespect, before his own guilty thoughts insisted anyway for the question to be answered...

Well...if it wasn't _necessarily_ the moment to listen to one of his umpteenth stories of life now that there were working on a case…then why was it more worth it to listen to any of Dr Mallard's ones ?


	2. Palmer's diner

Jimmy left work when the sun went down and slowly headed to his car, all alone, as usual, in that quite big parking lot… The number of times he had met other people from the team could certainly be counted onto his fingertips... Well, that wasn't completely true, in fact he was sometimes seeing Abby, walking on high heels, reaching her very funny big car… He smiled at the vision of her, wondering if she had already left... _Anyway_. He guessed that it was the cost for working somewhere with no windows...  
He shortly sighed and turned his head in the building's direction without really knowing why, feeling a bit nostalgic tonight…

— _Nighty-night, Palmer !_ Tony suddenly told him from behind, closely followed by Tim and Ziva, all almost running to their vehicles.

— Oh, hi everyone ! he quickly smiled and waved at them.

— _Faster, David…!_ Tony groaned as if he was fighting for his life, he told us to go home on a Friday night, but you know that he can call us back anytime as long as we're still in the Navy yard. This man has a natural flair for these kind of things...

— Don't push me, Dinozzo ! You're not the only one in need of sleep !

— McRunner, shake these brain cells of yours and hurry up ! Tony continued. If the grizzly bear out there sees you from the window, I'll kill you with my own hands...

— We should do something together soon ! Jimmy proposed as he approached his own car, Tim reflexively smiling at him from where he was, the trio almost opening their door at once.

 _But he wasn't even sure they'd heard him..._

…Jimmy entered his apartment and found the place the way he had left it. Not especially messy, not especially clean…he'd do something about it later. He took off his coat and slowly approached the mirror in the living room, watching his own reflection on the other side, untying his tie…

— Okay, Jimmy : weekend. Well, as long as there isn't anything new, he turned his head away from the mirror, uselessly staring at his door…

Well, it was more than likely that the others would be called back before him if there was anything new. Dr Mallard and himself had already done their job and wrote their report… Maybe even Gibbs was tired and that was why he had decided to free his agents. But he'd never admit it. After all, no one could really know what this man was really thinking...

— Okay, Jimmy, he repeated. Diner time. He took a last, closer look at his eyes, rubbing the circles under it as he got rid of his glasses for a second, and finally walked to the kitchen, opening the fridge without real appetite.

— So we have a few eggs and ham…some…cheese… I guess it is omelette for tonight, he tried forcing a smile.

Jimmy grabbed all the necessary ingredients and reached a pan in the corner of the room, strangely torn between weird nostalgia and profound misunderstanding, wondering why he was being so different today…  
 _He usually liked omelettes_. Of course, it was just a detail and not a real reason for feeling deep happiness, but still, he wasn't used to be the one lamenting… It wasn't even supposed to make him sound like a hero or anything, but it was like that : he wasn't, and had never been this kind of person, and so he hated sensing now that he had became such a man…someone sorry for himself.  
He cooked for a few minutes and let the dirty pan wait in the sink before changing his mind. No, he wouldn't let himself go. He'd clean it before eating… Jimmy did so and walked in the end to the table, plate and cutleries between fingers, a paper of crosswords lying on top of the furniture looking for someone to fill the missing letters.

— So : five letters to find for a…' _Paycheck extra_ ', Jimmy Palmer begun quoting, raising a piece of omelette to his mouth. Easy, he smiled. A bonus. B.O.N.U.S. _Got it._ Well, something I'll never get…he then ironically chuckled, waiting for other cases to write in. Now : ' _Rebellious or in revolt_ '…nine letters… Insurgent. I.N.S.U.R.G.E.N.T. Someone I'll never be ! he ironically chuckled another time, diving his fork into his food again. Okay, Jimmy Palmer...you're not bad at all ! he suddenly congratulated himself, before noticing the huge silence of the place.

The fork hit the plate as he stared at his walls. Well...what was the cost for having a place _with_ windows, then ? This building wasn't underground at all, and completely different from his working area, but it was still obvious that this space wasn't more crowded than at NCIS… Jimmy rolled his eyes with desperation, trying not to focus anymore on his stupid strange mood.  
 _Maybe he should go to bed._ Yes, he should go to bed now, therefore tomorrow would be another day, and tonight would be forgotten. He grabbed his plate and directly headed to the kitchen, throwing his food inside the bin, cleaning dishes quick as a flash.

— _Tomorrow will be another day_ , he sighed and seriously told himself as he faced again the mirror, before walking to his bed.

Jimmy Palmer took off his shoes and clothes and grabbed a simple pajamas from under his pillow, finally entering his bed with some unwanted anxiety, pulling up the blanket to his armpits... He then stared at his glasses, now lying on top of his cupboard, wondering…  
 _Was there something wrong with him ?_ Maybe if he was just making some efforts…well, it was probably nothing.  
Yeah, the sunny weekend coming up would certainly cheer up his current state of mind and he would hopefully come back to work on Monday with a new, _great_ energy.

— Alright. Goodnight, Jimmy, he whispered to himself as he stared for a second at the ceiling…finally switching off the light.


	3. The sunny case

— I love my job…Tony sighed as he slammed the door of his car, heading to the NCIS building... _Hello everyone_ , he lowly started to speak again, now facing the bullpen, reluctantly walking in his desk's direction.

— Feeling grampy today, Tony ?

— I'm not that old, David, he neutrally reacted, Ziva furrowing a questioning brow.

— You have to say 'grumpy', not 'grampy', Tim gently corrected her.

— Thank you, McDictionary, Tony almost groaned.

— Well, now he must definitely be grumpy, if he starts complimenting me…

— What are you all doing here before me anyway ? It's very early, even for you, McGeek.

— I was playing online an hour ago with someone from Hong Kong, Tim revealed a beautiful smile.

— What's wrong, Dinozzo ? Ziva suspiciously approached his personal desk, showing her teeth with delectation.

— I had other plans, David… Well, at least we had a Friday night to sleep. I guess that's still better than nothing.

— And a _whole_ Saturday… What, Tony ? Are you asking for the sun ?

— _The moon…_

— The moon, she corrected, reflexively pushing a hand onto her hip. Wait, what does the moon has to do with this ? _Americans…_ she finally sighed and rolled her eyes.

— Wait, _other plans_ , on a Sunday morning ? Tim noticed and asked, his teammate's face now turning kind of frustrated.

— Yes, what's going on, Tony, did you plan to go to church ? Ziva begun laughing.

— Not this kind of plan, David…

— Oh…she audibly chuckled, then it must have been a _real_ woman…

— Any idea why we're here ? Tony tried to change the subject. I thought we hadn't found anything new about Philip Frank…

Tim was raising both shoulders in the air when Gibbs suddenly walked in the bullpen, usual dark coffee cup wrapped between fingers.

— We have another dead Marine, sorry for your girlfriend, Dinozzo.

— _Hey boss,_ he immediately straightened _, I…_

— Elevator, now.

— _Arr…!_ Tony desperately begun groaning, grabbing his backpack.

— What ? Is that what you do when you are in bed with someone, Tony ? Ziva chuckled again and approached both silver doors. No doubt she will be missing you today…

Tim faced Tony's terrific eyes before he could say anything and so renounced to react anyhow positively to that, but Gibbs discreetly smiled at the joke, the bullpen finally vanishing from their sight, the cage bringing them now to the exit of the building…

— _Ah, good morning, Jethro. What a lovely sunny day…_

— Not for everyone, he neutrally said as he faced the dead body, taking a new sip of his precious drink. What do we have, Duck ?

— Well, our man has been killed properly, if I can say.

— I can see that.

— Let me take a closer look... _Well,_ _no damaged clothes…_ the medical examiner begun pointing at different body parts, _the top of his body seems to be free of any other wound…_ Yes, he added a little bit later, time of death is more than likely estimated...

Ducky stared at the body's temperature written on his machine.

— Ah, he smiled. I would say three days ago, four maximum…he continued. Hopefully there wasn't a lot of humidity in here, so the smell is not that bad. I personally like to see the cup half full rather than half empty, he finally chuckled, not really looking at anyone in particular.

Ziva tried watching the dead body too, highly disturbed by Tony's multiple yawns.

— Still in a bad mood, Tony ? she smiled.

— Why don't you just shut your mouth, David ?

— Like you can talk !

— Why don't you go and identify our man…and mind your own business ? he continued. McGossip, _pictures_.

— I'm not under your orders ! Ziva exclaimed, Tim highly approving her.

— Do as he says, Gibbs surprisingly spoke and agreed, both teammates then reluctantly executing their tasks.

Gibbs watched them leave and finally approached Tony with a slow movement, his face almost comforting.

— Should have been a beautiful woman, he gently smiled, almost chuckling in support.

— _Oh, you have no idea, boss…!_ Tony suddenly found back his energy, as if ready to confess his previous amazing experience, but Gibbs' hand immediately slapped his skull.

— I don't care what she looked like, or how much time of sleep you need to recover from yesterday, Jethro now revealed a monstrous facial expression, I want you to put yourself together and start working !

— _Got it, boss !_ Tony instantly whispered, as if he'd turn into some kind of guilty puppy.

Gibbs took a glance at him running in McGee's direction with already half a smile, his agent now weakly offering his help to the ones he had been despising with, before he turned back in the end and faced Ducky again.

— _Good Heavens…_ the old man sighed next to him.

— What ?

— Well, let me apologize when I said that our man had been killed properly. Oh, _right_ , he stopped for a second, you do not like apologies, do you, Jethro ?

— _He hasn't ?_ Gibbs neutrally sighed and waited.

— I thought this wound on his forehead had been the only one, but now that I checked a little bit further, I just realized that his leg had been broken.

— Which one ?

— Left one. No idea for the moment if it has any importance, though… But it certainly was broken before our man received the gunshot.

— So he wanted him to suffer, Gibbs commented, taking another sip of his drink.

— I must agree on that. A simple accident, I mean, a simple fall, wouldn't have broken the leg as much. There is nothing around here extremely dangerous, I do not see any gap, nor rock that might have 'helped' anyhow, not a single teeth mark neither...and I can see a strong hit in here, he pointed again at the leg.

— Alright. Autopsy ?

— Of course, Jethro. You know me very well.

Ducky revealed a kind smile and Jethro then prepared himself to look around, when he realized the presence of Palmer, right in front of him.

— Oh, sorry, Agent Gibbs… I just need to grab the body, he barely smiled.

— Do, Jethro simply reacted, inviting him to execute his task with a quick palm's movement.

The barely nervous, but still strangely discreet Mr Palmer approached the dead body, and when Ducky and himself finally put the lifeless Marine inside the truck, Jethro gave a look in the medical examiner's direction, still staring at the crime scene.

— Anything new, Jethro ? Ducky asked, a fist around his hat.

— I don't see any water in here.

— Well, I never said that these both cases were related...actually, there isn't a single proof for the moment that might show any...

— But two dead Marines…in three days ? Cannot be a coincidence.

— Murder has no limit…Ducky simply pronounced, as if explaining reality.

Gibbs only nodded and shortly stared at Jimmy, still waiting near the truck.

— What's wrong with him ?

— _Who_ , Mr Palmer ?

— Yeah.

— Well, nothing, as far as I know… He has been acting like that since he came back this morning. Silent, for sure, but not especially bad.

— Okay.

Jethro slowly begun walking again and freed Ducky, letting the man reach his vehicle, silently searching for any additional clue in here, ordering by the way to his team to find any link possible between the two dead men of the week.


	4. Conversations about death

— Anything new ? Gibbs asked as he reached the bullpen again, dark coffee between fingers.

— Yes, boss, Tony spoke first, the two dead men's IDs now appearing in the center of the screen. Marines Philip Frank and Martin Pitt were both good friends, or at least not big strangers, as they had a few missions in common. Frank was a widower with no kids and Pitt completely single.

— Nothing very sensitive about them, boss, Tim continued, skipping the previous documents' pictures in order to reveal some other ones. I didn't need to look too far as they've only been working together and knowing each other since about two years.

— So what we need to know now is if someone from the crowd knew the both of them.

— Well, boss…Marines are always in group, I guess you know that…

Gibbs only gave a quick look in Tony's direction, but there was no other words needed to explain the intensity of the silent confrontation.

— Of course you know that ! Tony nervously smiled, swallowing hardly. But what I mean is…

— What, Dinozzo ? Did you loose your tongue ?

— Thing is, Ziva spoke and temporarily saved him, that the few non sensitive missions they've been working on together were, of course, taking place with quite a lot of other Marines…

— Well, _find them_ , then, Gibbs logically and neutrally reacted, as usual.

— But, boss…if some of them might be free to talk to us, it is more than likely that others might be on a lot of different missions, Tim politely tried protesting in turn, and…

— Find a way, then ! _Ziva…_

— I'll make lists of all the participants present on each mission, she completed the sentence and immediately walked to her desk.

— I'll crack the system with Abby to be sure there wasn't any Secret Defense case they might have been working on, Tim continued. Maybe they arrested someone… _or else_ , he swallowed hardly as his mind stopped reacting for a second, Gibbs' stare suddenly oppressing him.

— I'll contact their Captains, maybe they'll have things to say, they might have noticed something...Tony quite ended the organization talk.

— Alright, I want this situation to be cleared as fast as possible ! Jethro almost shouted after a new sip of coffee emotionlessly touched his lips, the bottom of his jacket flying as he headed to the elevator.

Tony took a quick look at the screen, trying to think of the case with a new state of mind, now feeling a bit more relaxed.

— Gibbs should really reduce his coffee doses, he gets angrier and angrier…Ziva started to talk again.

— _Father Bear doesn't need coffee to get angrier..._ Tony mumbled, taking a new look at the screen.

— Was it the same cup he had on the crime scene, or is it already a new one ? Ziva kept asking and bent down a little onto her desk, as if sharing some confidence with the others.

Tony didn't react to her new words but only started to chuckle, the chuckle fastly turning into some kind of laugh he was trying not to let go, his body shaking quicker and quicker.

— What is it now, Dinozzo ? Ziva sighed, Tim waiting, too, for what would be next, with a strange expression on his face.

— It's nothing, Tony tried holding back any new sign of joy, raising a fist to his mouth.

— I can see your little teeth showing up, Dinozzo…Ziva pointed a finger at her teammate and started feeling upset, it's making you look creepier than usual.

— It's just…

— What is it, Tony ? even Tim begun to be impatient.

— You said that there might be a lot of 'participants'…he chuckled even more.

— _What…_ Ziva gritted her teeth. That's all ? This word exists, Dinozzo, I am not making it up !

— I know, he held back another big smile. It's just…well, coming from you, it seems like a group of Marines has taken part in a funny contest, or some kind of gaming activity...

— You're an idiot, Tony, you know that ? she faked a positive facial expression, finally clicking on her computer in order to find names.

Tim felt like he was ready to add something to the situation, but his phone suddenly rang on top of his desk, Abby's voice echoing on the other side.

— Hey, he greeted her.

— _Can you tell me what you're still doing up there, McGee ?_ she complained as if he had become some kind of kid who needed punishment.

— Yeah, sorry, Abby, I was about to go down, I promise. We were talking with Gibbs a minute again in order to… _wait_ , he suddenly stopped the conversation.

— _Now what ?_ Abby complained for the second time.

— How did you know I would need your help on something ? _Oh no…_ he revealed a worried pair of eyes in Tony and Ziva's direction, the handset still pressed against his ear, did he come to see you and realized I wasn't there ?

— _Maybe…_ Abby's voice turned a bit evasive.

— Maybe ? Tim felt his heart heavily bumping under his skin.

— _McCrack is in trouble…_ Tony started to sing, childishly.

— _Oh shut up, Tony…_ Ziva protested.

— Yeah, Tony, why don't you shut up, Tim started to freak out, badly trying to handle both conversations at once.

— _I didn't need him to come !_ Abby finally admitted, audibly bored by this stupid never ending discussion. _Come on, McGee, you guys find two dead bodies in three days and none of you expect from Gibbs to ask for extra help, and at least, minimum one illegal thing ?_

— True enough…Tim sighed.

— _Now move your butt from that chair of yours and immediately go down to the lab, Timmy, or I'll come myself up there and I promise you will not enjoy this very much._

— Yes, boss, Tim immediately stood up. Sorry… _Abby_.

Tim hurried in the lab's direction without a word, Gibbs heading to the autopsy room, almost at the same time...

— What's new, Ducky ? he asked, automatic doors inviting him to come inside.

— I am still working on it, Jethro, the man kept his eyes focused on the second dead Marine, but this leg still creates a bit of mystery to me, as our first body hasn't anything else than a wound in his temple. You say these cases might be related, but Marine Philip Frank doesn't have a broken leg, nor a wound in his forehead...

— They already worked with each other, Duck, we know that.

— I guess you mean that they did so in a _group_ situation...as a lot of Marines do. Don't get me wrong, Jethro, I am not saying that it is something extremely usual, but it is not rare neither... It is not as if our two men had been working together, and _only_ together on a case, is it ? Otherwise, it would certainly be more than suspicious, for sure... Anyway, I am fully aware that we might not have all the informations for now, but for the moment, here is my humble opinion about that.

— Well, linked or not, Agent Gibbs, I think we could... _maybe_ reconsider the suicide's possibility about Marine Philip Frank, Jimmy surprisingly opened his mouth after a whole day of unusual discretion, even smiling a bit.

Maybe having Dr Mallard express his doubts first was the opening he'd been waiting from the beginning.

— I already told you that I don't believe in suicide, Palmer. Having a hole in your temple doesn't mean that someone didn't force you doing so.

— Oh come on, Agent Gibbs ! Jimmy suddenly raised his voice. _I'm…_ I'm sorry, but… The gun wasn't found close to him, it moved with the water, so if someone wanted to force him to kill himself, then why didn't he took back the weapon and…I mean...they...he, or she should have replaced the gun nearer than...uh... What I mean, he finally ended his explanation, is that if someone would have wanted to make us believe that it was a suicide, then the natural reaction would have been to put the gun...uh, _closer._

Jimmy finally swallowed and normally breathed in after a while, now rubbing his own temples with exasperation.  
That wasn't making any sense, and his brain was thinking way too fast for that... Of course, to make someone believe in such a thing, you'd better be letting the gun 'closer', but...with the water, and everything... Yeah, the idea was here but his words weren't exactly making any sense... In fact, they were clearly making no sense at all, and this was more than probably because he was way too nervous to put himself together, confronting Gibbs.

— Water helps covering the clues, Jethro dryly interrupted him. Our man could be certain that we wouldn't find any powder near the wound as the face has stayed completely wet for hours, nor any other indications…that way, accusing the water, it could have looked more normal during the investigation, no matter the details that might have been relevant to catch him in case he would have made any mistake.

— Then if everyone knows you don't believe in Marines' suicide, why do they even try to make it look like it...Jimmy suddenly bitterly pronounced, they'd better be discreetly shooting them anywhere else and not pretend. If you will excuse me for a minute, Dr Mallard…

Gibbs watched him leave with no explanation, raising both exasperated arms in the air, Ducky and himself glancing at each other for a minute before a phone begun to ring.

— Yes, Tony ?


	5. Jimmy's breakdown

Jimmy Palmer reentered the autopsy room, a bit calmer than before…at least that was what he thought. Ducky raised his head again as he watched the automatic doors open up in front of his colleague, deeply staring at him, announcing an obviously needed conversation about what had just happened a few minutes ago...

— I want to say that I am very sorry about my behavior, Dr Mallard, Jimmy mostly said in order to be honest, not really knowing if he was absolutely meaning his words. That was absolutely not professional and it is more than certain that I wouldn't have done so if we were right in the middle of a…

— Having a scalpel or not between fingers doesn't allow more or less to leave without explanation, Mr Palmer, so I guess I'm gonna stop you right now and directly ask you for the reason that made you walk away from here.

— Dr Mallard, I am really sorry, _I mean it_ , there is nothing else to say about it…

— Not so fast, young lad, not so fast...Ducky took off his gloves and approached him a little bit, Jimmy now only showing his back, pretending to take a look at some files. I might not be wrong saying that you're not really talking because you might be afraid of the repercussions…

— Wouldn't it be fair enough ? Jimmy quickly chuckled, trying to fill the awkward silence.

— Listen to me, Mr Palmer, you and I are adults, aren't we, so the only reasons that might make me report your words to anyone would be if you were threatening my life, or worst of all, yours. So tell me now, Mr Palmer…are you about to do such thing ?

— I certainly won't, Dr Mallard.

— Good, then. Now I am aware that these kind of conversations are not the best on earth but I know, too, from experience, that it is usually better to spit out the words rather than keep them and badly digest a heavy secret until it's too late to work things out.

Jimmy turned back and faced again the medical examiner, eyes under his glasses more inclined to stare at the floor.

— It's nothing, Dr Mallard. I love my job, _really_ , but sometimes I feel that it's keeping us away from the real world…from the cases… I feel like my opinion has no impact, as if I was not actually really part of the team. It's pathetic, I know…he took off his glasses and rubbed his tired face, I feel like I'm only turning into some kind of jealous man, or…

— It is far from being stupid, Mr Palmer, Ducky joined the new conversation. But didn't I already tell you not to take too personally what our dear Agent Gibbs could sometimes be saying ? He is a field agent who needs to think fast and clearly, and he is often used to rely on himself and his own opinion, his own judgment…

Jimmy listened to the words that were pretty making sense to him, bitterness, still, though, staining his stomach with metaphorical acid of unfairness.

— I know I'm not perfect…he continued.

— _None of us are…_

— _I know_ , Dr Mallard, Jimmy tried to make a point, but… _I don't know…_ he sighed and moved a few steps away from the man.

— Well ?

— _I don't know…_ he repeated, maybe I feel like people don't listen enough to me. I don't really blame the rest of the team, they're busy with their job, and...or maybe I do… _just a little_. Let's be clear, he sighed another time, I've never wanted to be myself a field agent, but that doesn't prevent me from feeling frustrated not seeing the others as much as I'd want to.

— I do understand that. But again, try not to mind too much Gibbs' state of mind about things, it isn't always about…

— I'm not only talking about Agent Gibbs ! Jimmy unexpectedly interrupted him and spit the words.

Ducky took a sudden, deeper look at Jimmy Palmer and waited then for what would be next, sensing that he wouldn't really appreciate the following declaration.

— Anyway, that's all I had to say, Jimmy nervously rubbed his neck, taking another meaningless look at the files on the table.

— Oh, on the contrary, I think we're _finally_ going to the point, aren't we, Ducky gently pressed him.

— I'm not a child anymore, Dr Mallard, I shouldn't be talking about such things and only be doing my job. Can't we just forget all of this and start again from the beginning ? he tried not to beg.

— Well I think it is too late for that, Mr Palmer. Say what you have to say, that is the only way to go through this situation…

Jimmy quickly stared at the ceiling, wondering how this conversation could have gone so far, already regretting to have to handle such a talk with the one he'd always considered like his mentor. But if revealing his current feeling already seemed childish to him, complimenting someone before accusing him of something was even more a sign of immaturity.

— Go right to the point, Mr Palmer, therefore we'll all sleep properly tonight, Ducky added, as if he'd guessed his thoughts.

— The thing is that I... _Well_ , I really like to listen to all your stories, you know, and…Jimmy stopped and swallowed hardly.

Now he was complimenting. _Wrong beginning...  
_ Jimmy took his deepest breath of the day and finally said what he wanted to say...probably what he had always wanted to say, somehow, to the NCIS.

— Sometimes I feel like I'd deserve some more consideration. _Yeah, I know…_ he surprisingly continued, now that he had started, I am Jimmy Palmer, the _funny_ guy who talks too much ! he raised both hands in the air. You know what is sad, Dr Mallard…Jimmy revealed slightly humid eyes after a little while, his arms now going back to their last position. I really thought I was interesting. Well, maybe I've lived too much time in my own world…maybe I had too much time to focus on myself…but that's how it is ! he sadly smiled, invisible knives secretely tearing his heart into pieces. I'm only me...Jimmy Palmer, 'the man who talks too much.' _And now..._ he sincerely added, mixed feelings awfully playing with his guts, the new silence around the duet getting heavier and heavier, I think that's the really first time I think that I should stop talking.

Ducky kept his mouth half opened for a few dozens of seconds, facing another sad smile of Jimmy, not really knowing what he was thinking at that very moment…

— I am very sorry that you are feeling that way, he finally managed to say.

Jimmy Palmer didn't say anything in return, only reflexively pressing both palms against the table, facing the medical examiner from his own uncomfortable position.

— You know what, Mr Palmer ? Ducky suddenly slowly spoke, his mind flying a bit away after such meaningful words. I think I can finish what I need to do on the Marine Martin Pitt.

— _No, Dr Mallard, I don't need things to be like…_

— No, _really_ , I insist, Ducky revealed half a convincing smile, trying to hide a bit of his hesitation. So why don't you go home right now and try to enjoy the end of your Sunday ?

Jimmy thought about protesting again, but he could hear in Ducky's voice that it might be better not to do so, at least for now. Moreover, if he had to be honest with himself, he didn't think that staying in here tonight would really make the situation turn greater.

— Well, I'm gonna go, then, Jimmy lowly said, taking off his medical uniform. Sorry about…that, he mumbled and didn't face his mentor again, doors opening and closing behind him as he slowly walked away and definitely left his working space.

— Oh, don't be, Mr Palmer, Ducky lowly spoke too, his interlocutor already out of sight. _Don't be…_


	6. What stays inside for too long

Jimmy approached the parking lot with some weird apprehension, knowing the meaning and the reason for his early departure. He had never wanted for the situation to turn like that, but he had to admit, somehow, that it was doing him some good…

He thought again of what had just happened and felt the awful twist in his stomach. _Yeah…no_ , he was still feeling miserable. He walked to his car without a single look at the building, still dreaming that _maybe_ , someone would come and talk to him…until he saw the pair of shoes walk nearby. Jimmy raised a hopeful head in the stranger's direction, but the now identified man only apologized in order to access his own vehicle, before simply vanishing to somewhere else.

Jimmy sighed, feeling stupider than before. _Really…_ what did he have expected…

He finally reached his car after an umpteeth secret feeling of disappointment, opening its door after a last glance…

— _Well done, Jimmy…_ he told himself as soon as he sat on his seat and grabbed his keys, still sensing, deep down, that he shouldn't blame himself too much for what had just happened.

He was about to turn the key and leave that now strangely cursed place, but he soon realized that he couldn't manage doing it.

— Come on, Jimmy…he begun rolling his eyes, quickly seeing how pathetic he was in the rearview mirror.

A straight line was marking its presence along his tired forehead, reminding him the day he already deeply wanted to forget... He slowly breathed in and out like he was so used to do when it came for him to calm himself down and finally tightened his grip again around his keys, trying to deny the tiny shaking that was slowly, but surely taking control of his fingers...

— Come on, Jimmy, you're a grown man…! he desperately sighed and quite loudly pronounced this time as he stared at the ceiling of his car, visibly bored by his own reactions. _Oh, come on, Jimmy…_ he finally almost shouted after a while, so exasperated and angry, _stop talking to yourself !_

If the parking lot was momentarily empty of any witnesses, the scene that was currently going on was nothing else but sad, seen from the outside, as it was full of cruel realism…simply, but terribly revealing a man inside his working golden cage, dim light on in a single car where a body was strangely gesticulating…rectangle on four wheels awfully free of any sound.

— _Come on, Jimmy !_ he repeated for the umpteenth time, now strongly hitting the center of the stirring wheel, the noise of the horn echoing in surprise in the middle of the silent car park.

As he tried to take another breath, he felt the warmth coming up to his cheeks, direct consequence of the red angriness that was now staining his face, nervousness sending its unwanted, bitter chills to his neck… And there, without any expectation, especially from himself, he let a raging shout come out of his mouth, not minding if anyone could be seeing him, even if no one else was now around...

— _Damn it !_ he finally slowly added as if it was some kind of desperate conclusion, strongly pushing his hands against the innocent dashboard...feeling so mad that he couldn't even look at himself.

 _Madness._

That was something so new for him… He felt his chest inflate again but did not try this time to calm himself, only opening his car's door because he sensed that he needed to react, react more than the way he had previously done so, however stupid it might be sounding in his head...

So Jimmy Palmer went out of his car and suddenly slammed the door of his vehicle, the sound of it making him jump for a second, the surprise strangely mixing with some adrenaline… He discreetly nodded in agreement, as if to say he was willing to retry…and so did he.

Jimmy pulled the handle for the second time in his own direction and slammed the door again, strongly than before... The tension in his arm seemed to increase in a way it was probably preferable to avoid, but there was no possibility that he could stop for now this weird action of salvation...  
Maybe not having done it for years was an acceptable excuse to not resist the current temptation…

Jimmy listened for the first time to what his guts were saying and reused his new violence for the third amazing time, now starting to feel a bit breathless, but still excitingly _different._

 _Different…_

He finally tightened his grip around his keys for the umpteenth time, noticing the new scary and powerful shaking of his fingers, and surprisingly pressed the right button in order to close his car...  
He would pay such a useless amount of money for a taxi he obviously didn't need to take, without thinking of the stupid waste of time…but he knew deep down that he needed to get out of here. What he was going to do, he didn't know it for now…maybe he would walk for a while in order to calm himself, maybe he would walk directly to his apartment, reaching his place in a dozen of hours, maybe he would run, and…  
Jimmy's brain stopped thinking of any of the possible answers, switching itself off for the first time without his Master's consent, the breathing of the NCIS employee increasing throughout the seconds like a crazy machine that could not be stopped… He pushed both strong palms onto his hips, trying to think clearly, and take again the control of the unbelievable situation…  
He had already and _always_ felt this way… _intellectually_. This big energy flying around, these ideas coming up to his brain, the stories… But now the overwhelming was fully deciding for him, and the speed was now only _physical_ , some situation he had never faced, nor ever had to face before… Both arms fell down again along his body, hands clenching into small fists from time to time, opening, then closing by themselves without any warning… Yeah, whatever the matter was, he needed to get out of here, in order to let the anger express itself and later, _somehow_ , vanish more easily…

 _Madness..._

Yes, for the really first time, he was feeling _so mad.._. And as much as he knew it had a lot to do with the NCIS, the person he was probably the maddest at was _himself_.

Yes, Jimmy Palmer was _mad_.

 _Mad_ for turning into some nervous guy as soon as he was facing a figure of authority… _mad_ for letting himself be all alone all this time… _mad_ to fully have allowed the fact that he was less important than anyone else.


	7. The mysterious picture

— From the beginning, Dinozzo, Gibbs neutrally ordered as he entered the bullpen again, eyes already staring at the new picture on the screen. And who the hell are they ? he added, trying to identify the trio from afar.

Tony instantly stood up and enlarged the image, the explanation immediately following.

— I've found a picture of Marine Philip Frank, our first, well, _technically_ …he hesitated, before correcting himself, uh…our more _recent_ body, let's say…

— We're not talking about a piece of meat, Dinozzo ! Ziva attacked him verbally, you could show some more respect !

— Well, sorry about that… I mean…sorry, he suddenly strangely gesticulated, _not sorry_. I know you don't like that, do you… _anyway_ , his smile vanished as he tried to keep on talking, Gibbs staying perfectly still as he was making a fool of himself again. So let's say that the first man that we found on Friday, Marine Philip Frank, has shared on his social media, about a year ago now, a picture of him and the other dead Marine that we've found, Martin Pitt.

— Who's the girl in the middle ?

— Frank's ex-wife, well, _technically again_ , he added as he hunched his back, now ready for punishment. _What_ , he glanced at Ziva, it's already hard to properly say 'ex-wife' when the woman is dead, so what are we supposed to say when both parts of a use-to-be-married couple are too ?

Ziva suspiciously stared at him for a second but didn't say a word, only rolling her eyes from where she was as some kind of quiet support, maybe…

— What was Marine Martin Pitt doing at the wedding ? Simple guest ?

— Not at all, Gibbs, Ziva approached a little bit closer, he was the groom's best man.

— Well, that was quick.

— Uh…not really, boss, Tim interrupted his thoughts. We've discovered that both men have known each other for a little bit longer than expected.

— They've studied together, Tony revealed.

— Yes, Tim almost groaned, that was what I was about to say, Tony…

— Sorry McNews, he raised both shoulders without care.

Gibbs shorty sighed and took a deeper look at the picture.

— I thought I had sent you down to Abby's lab in order to check…

— I know, boss. Nothing to say, search was pretty quick, in fact. But then Tony called me telling me what he had just been discovering, saying that he _needed me_ to help him to…

Even without Gibbs' scary look, Tim could have sensed that his voice was turning a bit childish as he was accusing his teammate again, so he just decided to close his mouth for a moment, discreetly, but hardly swallowing his pride.

— So that's it, Gibbs looked at all his agents. That cannot be a coincidence, now.

— Well said, boss. But in fact, I can say that I have something to add to the frame.

Jethro raised a very questioning eyebrow, staring at Tony.

— The picture has been deleted a few months ago, boss, Tim quickly pronounced without really realizing it.

Tony terribly glanced at his teammate, visibly still speechless, Tim secretly relieved that he just had taken some kind of revenge against him.

— _Deleted ?_

Ziva crossed both arms around her waist, eyes now completely focused on the screen.

— Yes, Gibbs. So now we have only two possibilities : our Marine Philip Frank wanted to make some 'cleaning' on his personal page, or...

— Or he wanted the memory to disappear…Jethro almost instantly sighed, already knowing the reason he would choose, his guts, as usual, inevitably doing the job for him.

— So what do we do, boss ? Tim asked.

— Well, Gibbs sighed again, we cannot talk to the two individuals, obviously, so let's try their families, if they still have some.

— _Right away_ , Ziva automatically reacted, going back to her personal desk.

— _Which one for you, which one for me ?_ Tony instantly joined the duty, already sitting on his chair...

...Tim felt Gibbs' voice now completely focus on him, and he waited then for the lips to move.

— McGee, do we know anything about her ?

— Cassandra, Mary Frank…32 years old, boss, he begun reading the computer's file. One sister...Lize Samens, 35 years old...lives about 70 miles from here.

— Call her, now.

Tim didn't say anything and instantly grabbed his handset, eyes reflexively looking at Tony and Ziva, Gibbs suddenly noticing Ducky's name on his phone.

— _Yes, Duck…_

— So, anything new, David ?

— Why don't you let me work, Dinozzo ? she sighed, nervously clicking on her computer.

— So…Frank was the cutest ? he stupidely smiled, starting to tease her.

Ziva hit the furniture and rolled her eyes with exasperation, wondering again why Tony was wasting her time for no reason.

— I am trying to work, Tony ! And if you are interested, I chose Frank right away because you'd just asked to split the task, Dinozzo, and we needed to be quick !

— Pitt is not that bad too, you know... Well, I understand that he's not _that_ irresistible, but look, with his beautiful eyes, and…

— He has the name of an actor, hasn't he, he seems then to be more suitable for you anyway, don't you think, Tony…she went back to neutral speaking, taking some new notes on a piece of paper.

— _Which one ?_ Tony immediately smiled and expectedly didn't end the conversation, waiting for a mistake to be made.

— I _know_ what his name is...Ziva proudly raised her head again and seriously confronted him. His name is Brat…

— _Brad !_ he corrected her. _Here we go_ , David, he almost shouted with sparks in his eyes, I knew you were still so bad at it !

— Brad or Brat…she started to turn crazy, what is the difference when it's the same damn pronunciation !

— You wish, David !

— _Hey !_ Gibbs' angry voice made Tim jump and increased as soon as Jethro hung up his call, approaching the stupid fighting duet. Go back to work and only speak if you have something interesting to say about the case !

— _Quick, I know_ , Tony's voice tone turned into that guilty puppy style again, we're gonna be quicker, boss, I promise...

— _Boss ?_ Tim finally dared to interrupt. No answer. Just a message on her voicemail saying that she'll be back from a trip in three days now. No address, nor phone number to contact her over there given.

— Trace the normal one, then.

— Uh, I'd like to, but…where she's travelling, I'm pretty sure that her phone is off, boss. _And she said it too_ , he immediately added, sensing that his first answer was far from being acceptable. So I guess we'll only have to wait for her to come back.

Gibbs heavily sighed and only headed to Ducky's working space, new thoughts in mind he didn't want to share for now. This case was going one step forward, two steps backward…

— I've got all I need, Ziva finally smiled. So...that's what you call being quick, Tony ?

— _I'm almost finished_ , he groaned, grabbing the handset of his desk phone. That's quick enough for me.

— They'd have cut both your hands for having been so 'quick' with your duties in Israel, Tony, she ironically chuckled. But I guess Americans are just a bit more 'lax'…she lowly added with a new smile, Tony's temporary pale face being enough of a victory for what was now an early Sunday evening...


	8. Gibbs' denial

Gibbs walked inside the place with no windows, hands free, this time, of any coffee cup.

— Duck ? he asked.

— Jethro…the medical examiner smiled, although Gibbs could notice the worried expression in his eyes.

— You called me ?

— _Actually, I did !_

Jethro slightly jumped as he heard the voice of Abby, the gothic face suddenly revealing its two black ponytails onto a screen next to him.

— _Abbs…_ he groaned.

— Abby, didn't I tell you that it might be a bad idea to do so ? Ducky lowly chuckled.

— _Oh come on, Gibbs, life is short, you should have fun more often ! Really, it's like you've…anyway_ , she instantly added, Jethro's face now turning extremely impatient.

— What's new, Abby ?

— _We finally found and analyzed the bullet, Gibbs, isn't it wonderful ?_

— On which crime scene ?

— _Marine Martin Pitt's, of course ! It had solidly gone inside a tree next to our body, why we didn't see it right away !_

— Anything else ?

— _Yes ! That's the same kind of bullet that killed our Marine Philip Frank, so…_

— So they have the same killer, Gibbs neutrally commented.

— Well…yes, it can be a possibility, Ducky started to pronounce, if we then agree on the fact that our killer might have let his gun next to our supposed to be suicidal man, _otherwise_ …

But Jethro was already leaving the room, dialing a number on his phone, automatic doors opening up in order to let him go.

— _Is he…_ Abby started asking, still prisoner of that screen.

— Yes, I think his eyes are blind, indeed, my dear…let me talk to him for a minute.

— _Alright...bye Ducky !_

— Goodbye, Abigail.

Ducky hurried in the elevator's direction, the lab's face vanishing from his sight, hoping that he would still see Jethro when he'd arrive.

— There was something else, Duck ? Gibbs questioned him, interrupting the closing of the elevator, including his phone call.

— _Yes, there is_ , the medical examiner heavily sighed, entering the silver cage without any sign of politeness.

Both doors closed when both men finally stood still in the inside, but Ducky didn't wait for the awkward silence to install between the two of them.

— Jethro…what are you playing at ?

Gibbs raised an eyebrow for a second, wondering if he really wanted to have this conversation…before he pressed the so well known button of the elevator, transforming the small transport into his so well known secondary office… When Ducky felt his heart bump a little and then knew that they were now stuck together somewhere in the middle of the building, he finally slowly breathed in and out, ready to face Gibbs.

— The _same_ kind of bullet, Jethro…he started to speak again. One in the forehead, and one in the temple. What if…

— We cannot know anything for sure until we've talked with everyone. We have to check on both Marine's families and to talk to Lize Samens about her sister, Cassandra Frank…

— But, Jethro...

— Duck, we've already seen this kind of case, you know it can be the same person who's planned an attack on...

— I say 'what if', Ducky suddenly unexpectedly turned mad, his old facial features tensing a bit with his words, but come on, Jethro ! If for once, I can use that so famous 'guts power' of yours, I think it is now or never, and I think that you should feel it too !

— Okay Ducky, what's going on ?

— You know, Jethro, sometimes you make me think of these horses people are blinding with blinkers when they make them walk down the road, in order to just make them go straight on without thinking of what is around them ! What are you gonna find, now, Jethro ? That we have a serial killer using different kinds of techniques, forcing one of the men to…

— _Hey_ , Jethro interrupted him as he put a palm on his shoulder, Ducky's usually calm face in any situation now tensing so much that his blood seemed to be completely boiling. What's wrong, Duck ? he insisted.

— Please do not avoid this conversation, Jethro…I am not one of your agents.

— I know.

Ducky heavily breathed in and out again, the sight of Gibbs' hand pressing the button secretly making him feel desperate. Yes, as usual, Gibbs was running away from a discussion for the umpteenth time, but he'd never admit it.

— What I am saying, Ducky hurried himself to speak before it'd be too late, is that maybe you should have given more credit to Mr Palmer…

The redness of his face seemed to have mostly vanished, but Gibbs could still notice the slight shaking in the medical examiner's voice as the silver doors opened up, revealing the surprisingly not so crowded bullpen.

— Hey, boss, Tim lowly pronounced.

— McGee, where are Dinozzo and Ziva ? Gibbs asked, Ducky now silently walking next to him.

— They went to the different families' places in order to talk to them, in case they would have some additional informations to give us.

— Any news from the Captains ?

— Both ready to see us. If we leave now we can talk to them in about thirty minutes.

— Alright. Let's go.

Gibbs watched Tim head to the elevator and quickly went to his personal desk, grabbing his badge and gun, before he turned back for a second, facing Ducky.

— By the way, where's Palmer ?

— I've sent him home, Ducky calmly said, this time, although he still seemed to be carrying an indescribable burden.

— Something I should know about ?

— Not for now, Jethro…the medical examiner heavily sighed, I am still trying to figure things out myself, and you are, obviously, pretty busy for now…

Jethro nodded and didn't add a word, only joining his agent inside the ready to use elevator, the bullpen and Ducky's worries momentarily vanishing from his sight… When they finally both entered Jethro's car, deeply willing to find out more about the case thanks to the Marines' Captains, Gibbs' eyes quickly shifted from the road to some other parked vehicles, not realizing yet what they've just been looking at until McGee simply commented something he'd seen too.

— Isn't it Jimmy's car ? Tim asked.

— I guess so…Gibbs first naturally answered, his mind and thoughts deeply focused on the future itinerary he would need to follow. Why ?

— Well, I didn't mean to listen, but when I was waiting near the elevator, I think I heard Ducky saying that he had sent him home. Am I wrong ? he simply asked his boss, not knowing if it was useful to have said so.

Tim did not wait for a reaction and didn't get any in return anyway, so he finally silently stayed focused on the road, conversation not seeming to be continued, only heavily sighing and trying to keep his mind busy… That was always the problem with Gibbs. He was not really this kind of very talkative guy, and when it came for his agent to be stuck all alone with him for about half an hour in a car, Tim would literary be killing for a semblance of a dialogue.  
He was almost regretting Tony's presence, and that was probably the worst of all.


	9. Frustration and movie talk

Ziva sat on the passenger's seat, sighing...

— You see, that's why I will never have any children. It's too much suffering.

— Yeah, Tony chuckled, _if you say so_. I rather think you'll never have children because Israelian ways of education are not legal in the United States.

Ziva rolled her eyes with desperation, now facing the landscape through the windshield of the car.

— Chill out, David. They already knew the bad news before we went to talk to them. For once we weren't the ones breaking someone else's heart... It's good sometimes not to be the direct messenger, isn't it.

— Both of these families just lost a child, Tony, she said before pausing. Sometimes, I am amazed by how soulless you look…she gritted her teeth.

— Sorry, who are you and what did you do to Ziva David ? I'm just trying to survive in the wild world, like everyone does, he instantly reacted, hands now grabbing the steering wheel between fingers. That's the business we're in.

— Yeah, _maybe_ …she sighed again. So what about now ? Everything is fine in the best world ever ? Pitt's family said that their son was an angel, which Frank's family confirmed too about their own and his friend…

— I am as frustrated as you are, David, Tony kept driving from a street to another, eyes still focused on the road. Martin Pitt was the perfect son, and Philip and himself were best friends forever… My normal reaction would have been to think that it looked somehow suspicious, but truth is that if any of their kids ever talked about their problems to their parents, then there's nothing they could have done about that. Not even one single mistake at work to help us anyhow…but we're not gonna complain about that, are we.

— Well, I guess driving and speaking on the phone is not allowed neither in here, Ziva heavily breathed out and picked up her personal item, reluctantly dialing Gibbs' number in order to let him know about the obvious lack of informations they'd just gotten…

…Jethro hung up the call and sighed, Tim waiting for some more explanations… _or not._

— Are we going back to NCIS ? he simply asked, Gibbs only nodding as an answer.

Tim entered the car again with some small apprehension, knowing that it would be another thirty minutes of sacred silence… he could still speak about the case, but he was afraid that if he was the first one doing so, Gibbs might not agree to any of his comments.

' _Come on_ , he thought. _It has been proved enough that the boss had his own idea about the turn of events, so why even bother talking ?'_

— You're good, McSilent ? I bet you didn't dare chatting with the big boss for the whole trip, Tony expectedly teased Tim when he reached the bullpen again.

— Oh yeah, maybe because last time I've been spending time with him you advised me to talk to him for hours about fishing, Tim groaned, the bitterness of the memory still stuck somewhere in his head.

— _Ah, Probie…_ sometimes I feel nostalgic, you know ? Tony revealed bright teeth, putting an arm around his teammate's neck. You still have that magazine, McNemo ?

— Oh _really_ , Tony, now you start using animated movies against me ? Tim tried to get rid of the opposite hand.

— _Hey_ , Nemo is a classic ! Probably another one that you haven't been watching, by the way, Mrs David…he finally added when he sat at his desk, facing Ziva.

— I perfectly _know_ that movie, Tony, and I'm pretty sure that you set yourself…

— 'Wet', Ziva, Gibbs surprisingly shorty joined the conversation, now reaching his desk as well.

— …Yeah, I'm pretty sure that you wet yourself as soon as you've seen that big, scary shark coming up on the screen.

— That was a tear of real emotion ! Tony instantly reacted, Ziva bursting out laughing from behind her computer.

— I've always found that little girl very creepy, personally. You know, the one with braces killing fishes at the dentist…Tim unconsciously shared his own feelings too, strangely sucked by the movie talk, before he met Gibbs' glance and immediately froze.

— _I…uh…_ Tim felt himself literally dying inside.

— What, McGee ? You still have nightmares about Nemo ? Jethro dryly asked him, Tony and Ziva frenetically rubbing their necks in order to hide the laughs.

— _Uh…_ Tim's cheeks now turned extremely red. _But…_ Tony was just talking about, _uh…_ You've seen Nemo, boss ? he finally pronounced and swallowed so hard that he could feel the imaginary stone deeply falling down his throat, still, though, sincerely intrigued by Gibbs' potential cinematic knowledge.

A slap wouldn't be enough, no...he could directly be buried alive. Anything that would make him forget about his miserable life...  
Tim remained completely silent for a dozen of seconds and then faked a strange noise as if he was clearing his throat, now trying to focus again on his computer.

— _Alright_ , Gibbs neutrally gave his verdict, why don't you all go home ?

— If you stay, I can stay, Ziva instantly spoke.

But Tony was already discreetly looking at his phone, wondering if he could maybe call the mysterious woman back.

— _Go_ , Gibbs repeated. We can't do anything else before we see Cassandra Frank's sister, and we'll still have tomorrow morning to get bored about the case. _What..._ any of you have other movie references to talk about ? he finally added as he saw everyone standing still in the bullpen, all kind of torn between a 'ready, set, go' movement and the idea of staying in order to help anyhow.

— _See you tomorrow, boss_ , Tim suddenly spoke first, hurrying to the elevator with a constant glance at the floor, quickly followed by Tony and Ziva.

Gibbs watched them leave with a slight amusement before putting on his glasses again. Yeah, he would more than likely take the case file home and probably work some time on his boat, something to read then in one hand, a glass of whisky between other fingers...

 _A ring on the phone._

— Ducky ?

— _Hello Jethro_ , the voice talked politely, although Gibbs could still feel a bit of tension.

He didn't like that. Ducky was someone too important to be mad with.

— _May I ask you if you still need me for today ? Reports and duties are all done, and I would like to pay a small visit to Mr Palmer tonight, why leaving earlier could be very well appreciated._

Then the short conversation with McGee quickly came up to his mind again, with the vision of that same vehicle.  
Gibbs rubbed his head for a second, an important detail not making any sense.

— _Jethro ?_ the voice repeated. _Is that a yes ?_

— Of course, Ducky, I don't need you anymore for tonight…but are you sure that Palmer already left the building ? I've just seen his car, it's still parked in here.

— _What on earth are you talking about, Jethro ?_ Ducky reacted with surprise. _That is simply impossible._

— Maybe he's talking with Abby ?

— _Well, no, she left just before I called you. And, obviously…all alone._

— And when did you free him, Duck ? Gibbs gently tried to insist a bit more, sensing the worries in the opposite voice's tone.

— _Well…hours ago, Jethro._

Gibbs raised a concerned head and took a look at the empty group of desks…  
It seemed like his boat and whisky program was no longer planned for tonight.


	10. Looking for Jimmy

Ducky finally met Gibbs in the parking lot, his worried facial expression now explaining perfectly the voice Jethro had heard earlier on the phone.

— That's the one ?

— It is, indeed, the medical examiner nervously nodded, taking a quick look at the doors and through the windows of the vehicle, as if Mr Palmer could have, somehow, still been inside.

— You're sure this is unusual, Duck ? Gibbs asked in order to double check, although he felt himself the weirdness of the situation.

But after all, Ducky was the one constantly working with Jimmy, wasn't he, so as much as the whole team might be knowing him, or at least thought knowing him, their opinion wasn't the first one to consider... And why would Jimmy leave his car in here anyway ?

— I would only answer you by saying that I prefer being wrong, rather than right, Jethro…the old man sighed.

— Alright, _let's go_ , Gibbs immediately nodded, inviting him to come, Ducky's strange figure of speech seeming to be convincing enough to him. You want to use my car ?

— I think I'll rather follow you, Jethro. If I have to stay a little bit longer, I will probably need my own transportation in order to go back, the medical examiner sighed. I really do hope that it is nothing, Jethro, he finally added before entering his own car, but in case I do not find him home, I would be glad to have some additional help to think about the rest.

Gibbs only nodded to show that he had understood and simply entered his vehicle, quickly heading to the exit before he stopped miserably...he didn't know Palmer's address.

' _Think, Jethro…his address must have been written on his file, like any of your other agents_ ' he thought, before feeling stupid as hell.  
Yeah, like _any_ of them. Except that, difference was that he knew _their_ address…but not Jimmy's.

— _Ah, Jethro, you're here…_ Ducky slowly spoke as he opened the window of his car. I thought you would have left without me.

— Oh course not, Gibbs tried to hide the uneasiness. Go first, I'll have your back.

Ducky gently nodded and silently begun driving again, showing the way to Jethro. But if he hadn't said anything about it, he had probably understood…

— _Here we are_ , Ducky spoke as he left his car, closely followed by Gibbs. I really do hope that I did not bother you for nothing…he politely added, sensing that he hadn't use the good last word.

Jethro didn't say a thing and only quickly glanced at the neighborhood and its apartments around, walking behind, along the sidewalk, trying to visualize in which kind of place Jimmy could be living... He would have broken the door of his agents a thousand times, and more than this if it was necessary…and now that he was in that brand new street…well, he had no idea which door was belonging to whom. He sighed and finally joined the real world again when he heard the heavy knock nearby, noticing Ducky's fist hitting against Jimmy's entrance.

— Mr Palmer ? Dr Mallard begun speaking quite loudly, not minding if it would disturb anyone. Mr Palmer, it's me, can you please open the door !

There was no sign of violence in his voice, the tone of it indicating no more than sincere worries in need of an answer. Gibbs slightly smiled for a second before focusing again, seeing how polite the man next to him always looked in any situation of life.

— Did you try his phone, Duck ? he asked.

— Of course, but every time I do try, it goes to voicemail.

Gibbs sighed and took another look at the building, wondering what they could do... There was no way they could know the man's exact location. Maybe he was only sleeping inside...or _has been_ , after all that noise...or just not willing to open...or maybe simply outside for a walk...but whatever the answer was to that question, he wasn't really picturing himself picking, or breaking his lock for the really first time.

— _Mr Palmer !_ Ducky knocked again against the door.

— Duck, look at me, Gibbs finally stopped him, a gentle palm on his shoulder.

— Uh, yes, Jethro ?

— Ducky, do you think he's in danger ?

— _Uh, well…_ I do not exactly know that, _I…_

— Remember what you told me about my 'guts power', Gibbs briefly smiled, not looking away, though.

— Yes, I _do_ remember our conversation. What about it ?

— Ducky...do you feel that Jimmy might be in serious trouble ?

The medical examiner tried to think of it for an intense minute, his arm shaking a bit under his sleeves throughout the seconds, before the feeling seemed to become more and more insistent inside of him... Gibbs finally raised both eyebrows when he sensed that the answer was coming up to his lips and then just waited for it to be clearly pronounced.

— I do not think he is, Jethro…he slowly spoke, but I _do_ feel that he is in a lot of pain too.

Both men sighed at once, somehow kind of feeling better after such a reflexion, and still, though, very sad about what seemed to come from the bottom of Ducky's heart. He might not be a field agent, nor be going on very dangerous missions, Gibbs perfectly knew that the guts of the NCIS' ME were definitely to be very trusted as well.

— Come on, Ducky, Gibbs lowly invited him to go back to his vehicle after a last try against the door. I don't pretend to know Palmer as much as you do, but I'm pretty sure that he's gonna show up at work tomorrow morning. He's way too clever to not do so.

The old man didn't add a word but Jethro could notice a quick smile in the corner of his lips when he opened for him the door of his car.

— You want a drink, Doc ?

— Well, thank you Jethro, Ducky smiled again, but I think for tonight that I am more willing for a tea and a bit of wallowing, if you do not mind. There are some nights like this when I do like finding an author with a story to read, quite closer to my own…

— _Alright_ , Gibbs briefly smiled back. Hey... I don't know yet about the whole Palmer thing, but don't wallow too much, okay ? You'll have plenty of time to talk with him tomorrow if he wants to.

— That is certain, the medical examiner added before starting his vehicle. I see you in a few hours, then, Jethro.

Gibbs shortly waved to the man who'd just left him and finally entered his own car with different kind of thoughts, taking a last glance at Jimmy's building, _not really_ in the mood anymore for a 'whisky and boat night'... He sighed when he felt the strange twist in his stomach, suddenly analyzing what he had just thought about tonight's program.

 _Well...that was a first._


	11. Jimmy's return to NCIS

Jimmy slowly walked inside his working place, facing the deep obscurity of the space… Well, that was silent.  
'Silent', of course…what else could you ask from the dead, uh…to talk about the weather ?  
No, something was very different at this very moment, and he could sense it. The place was _silent_ , for sure…but more than usual.  
Jimmy Palmer stayed still for a minute or two after that the automatic doors finally closed behind him, wondering again what time it could be…before he switched on the light.  
Rectangles on the floor turned white one by one as he pressed the button on the wall, revealing the numerous silver, empty tables of the room waiting for their guests, Jimmy's eyes still focused on the different pieces of furniture… Everything was perfectly clean, as usual. Dr Mallard certainly hadn't let a single spot or any speck of dust, no…everything was, like always... _impeccable_.  
Jimmy tried to think of what he could do for now, but his brain was working very slowly and he could feel it, in addition with the obvious tiredness under his eyes…he wasn't really sure if he could do something about it.  
He slowly touched the deep circles under his glasses, proof of his yesterday's change of routine…no, there was probably nothing for now that he could do in order to fix it. Or maybe he just did not want to…or maybe he just didn't care…  
He finally slowly walked a few steps forward, although quite reluctantly, dropping on the floor the bag he had taken back from his car this morning, in the empty parking lot…

 _It must have been very early._

Jimmy took another glance at the space around and in front of him, trying to catch a detail that might interest him enough to keep him from falling asleep right away…

 _The birds._

Yes, he remembered now...  
Yes, it must have been very early when he arrived, because he remembered hearing them on his way.  
He held back a yawn and unconsciously looked at his watch for the second, or the third time, maybe...but he did it again without really seeing it, nor understanding the meaning of the numbers all around, his brain too tired to analyze the information he had been desperately looking for… He finally rubbed his face and silently approached Dr Mallard's desk, opening again some of the files waiting on top of it, pointing a tired finger here and there, checking if he had sent everything to the lab… He stared at one of the shelves in the end, his exhausted mind keeping his eyes on it for too long, only staring at nothing...  
He shook his head and rubbed his neck for a second... Well, there was still a box that he could remove from there and bring to Abby's before she'd arrive…at least that would give him something to do before the day starts again…with its lot of uneasiness, and future talks he didn't want to have.  
No, he did not want to face that, really, he just wanted to forget and disappear, _anywhere_. But he had to.  
He finally grabbed the box between fingers and prepared himself to leave.

— _What…_ did you sleep here, Palmer ? the voice calmly asked from behind.

Jimmy slowly turned back, a small pounding now hitting a corner of his head…and faced Gibbs.

— Agent Gibbs, he neutrally reacted, so neutrally that Jethro would probably not have spoken better. I just arrived.

— Same clothes from yesterday, uh ? he continued the same way.

— I didn't have the time to change, Jimmy answered without any other explanation, but I guess it won't disturb the dead.

Gibbs put his coffee cup onto one table, slightly smiling at the clear, surprising irony, Jimmy still trying to figure out how and when he'd be able to head in the exit's direction.

— There is something you want to talk to me about, Palmer ?

That same calm voice, followed by silence. Deep… _heavy_ …awkward silence.  
Jimmy slowly breathed in and out and only tightened his grip a bit more around the box's handles, approaching both doors...approaching Gibbs. He wanted to go out, didn't he. So he just needed to walk and do so. Logic.

— If you will excuse me, Agent Gibbs…

— _Hey._

Jimmy watched the palm on his forearm, not able to hide his too visible and frenetical eyes' rolling movement. So he just calmly, but heavily breathed in and out again, looking now at Gibbs' eye level…Jimmy's ones strangely empty of any joy.

— Something I can do for you ? Jimmy sighed, obviously bored.

— No, Jethro finally simply shook in head and moved his lips, his discreet and almost kind way of answering meaning, as usual, so much more.

— So if you will excuse me, he repeated, I need to bring something to Abby's.

— At five ? Gibbs briefly chuckled. Even for her, it's still early.

— I just like to be productive when I have the time to be, Jimmy neutrally reacted again and then visibly faked a smile, exhaling as he replaced the box's position between his arms.

The automatic doors opened up another time and Gibbs slightly moved on one side in order to let Palmer go.

— _Hey, Jimmy_ , he finally added, ready to say anything else, hands frenetically touching his cup, the movement of his head still keeping the doors from closing.

But Jimmy Palmer didn't bother answering, only heading alone to Abby's lab…

Gibbs finally sighed and briefly watched the ceiling of the place, raising his precious coffee to his mouth, taking a new sip of it… And he started thinking again... It has always been easy to rely on Jimmy, almost _too easy_ , that was true. And if it had always been quite hard, too, to know what he could constantly be thinking of, Gibbs usually knew there would be nothing too serious to say. No problem, indeed, only and always the same bored glance from him every time Palmer would talk too much and make him late, always that same juvenile smile every time Jimmy would listen to a story or talk about a new one…

Well, that was Jimmy's style, right ? That was just Palmer... _being Palmer_.

Gibbs sighed and took another sip of his drink, perfectly knowing that his presence wouldn't be appreciated if he was staying here for too long, knowing too that it wouldn't do any good to anyone for the moment if Jimmy was seeing him on his way back…  
Well, in fact, there was only one thing he was certain to know, and there was no need to be a genius to completely acknowledge it :  
These days, Jimmy Palmer was really bad…

 _Very_ bad.


	12. Worst than expected

Gibbs took a look at his agents, all silently sitting behind their desks. If he wasn't really glad that this case was moving so slow, the almost perfect picture of an obedient Tony, Tim, and Ziva, after his previous discussion with Palmer, was somehow cheering him a bit up. He briefly chuckled at the reflexion, no one around, hopefully, noticing the slight movement of his lips.

' _Discussion_ '…

Gibbs wouldn't have believed it himself if someone else had told him so, but that was now a true fact : _he_ had been the one making the conversation.  
Well, now, at least, he could understand how others were feeling when he was remaining cold as ice with them.

— McGee, how long before she comes back ? he finally asked, mostly willing to leave his numerous thoughts.

— Well, two days from now, so tomorrow evening…he logically said, although...she might be coming back a bit earlier than expected, he added as he opened a new document on his screen. I've just received my answer after I typed her name in the airport system, boss, and it says that she should be in Washington DC at 17:45.

— Good. We'll pick her up there.

— You think someone already told her about the death of her brother in law ? Ziva asked, Tony only slightly raising both shoulders.

— If she's in the middle of nowhere, no chance about that, so I guess it's gonna be quite a difficult ride...Tim commented and sighed.

— _Yeah, why don't we directly bring the stretcher…_ Tony mumbled. After so many hours of travel, discovering that someone else died in the family, I guess it's gonna be quite demanding...he added, Ziva now being the one silently reacting. Unless she wanted him dead too.

Gibbs discreetly nodded and started overthinking again when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate on top of his desk, the moving item revealing a number he had strictly no idea about…

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

— Good morning, Mr Palmer, Ducky smiled as he entered the room, still not fully decided if he should pretend that everything was fine or directly go to the point with Jimmy.

— Good morning, Dr Mallard, he reacted with a brief look in his direction, quickly turning his head back, focusing on a file.

— _Uh…_ did you enjoy your evening yesterday ? Ducky now questioned him, putting down his bag next to the piece of furniture, trying to hide his obvious worries.

There was no need, for sure, to mention yesterday. If Jimmy had really been in there, then it would be very uncomfortable for the both of them to talk about it, especially with Palmer's usual guiltiness feeling, and if he hadn't been there, then...

— I quite enjoyed it, Dr Mallard, thank you again for this opportunity, Jimmy strangely nodded and interrupted his thoughts, the coldness in his voice sounding absolutely scary.

Ducky nervously smiled, not really knowing if Jimmy could have seen him, and shakily approached him.

— So what do we have now, Mr Palmer ? he asked with a visible uneasiness, Jimmy's silent and simple tall body now looking like a wall that no one on earth could ever break.

— Nothing much, in fact. There was some minor things that I needed to bring to Abby…

— _Oh yes, the box number 22..._ Ducky answered right away, trying as much as he could to keep a regular conversation between the two of them, I didn't have time to...

— Yes, but do not worry about this anymore, I've already put it on her desk.

— _Already ?_ the medical examiner calmly reacted, taking a clumsy look at his watch. Alright, then…he tried to continue speaking, but the words were becoming harder and harder to find.

— So I can still write the report for Mrs Allmanstern, I realized earlier that there was some details that hadn't been written properly…

— Well, I can see that you had a productive morning…Ducky tensely commented, still shaking in the inside because of his nervousness.

— Dr Mallard ? Jimmy suddenly asked.

Ducky noticed the closed lips trying to force a smile, and he wished that the face in front of him could have seemed a bit more natural, but at least Mr Palmer was now trying to start a conversation, so maybe he could do, in turn, his best to make it happen...

— _Dr Mallard ?_ Jimmy repeated.

— Yes, Mr Palmer ? Ducky asked, his hopeful tone of voice echoing inside the working area.

— It's ringing.

— I beg your pardon ? the medical examiner questioned him, a short bump in his heart momentarily accompanying the ending ultrasound which had isolated his eardrums for a second or two.

— _Your phone…_ it's ringing.

— _Oh_ , Ducky hardly exhaled, _right._ _Well…_ thank you Mr Palmer, he added as he started palpating his pockets, before noticing the item on the desk. _Oh…_ he tried to smile.

— Here it is, Jimmy grabbed it and gently handed it to Ducky, although it was obvious that it was no more than a sign of politeness...and even more obvious that Jimmy had only meant to say his name in order to mention the phone call going on.

Ducky frenetically pinched his lips and answered, hardly disappointed.

— Hello ? Oh, hi, Jethro… _well, certainly_. We'll be ready if this is necessary, of course... _Alright…_ Alright, keep me informed as soon as you know more.

Jimmy silently raised both eyebrows in his direction, wondering if there was something that he should know about…

— Something I should know about ? he finally loudly asked, Ducky remaining silent as he couldn't hide anymore behind his conversation with Gibbs.

— Well, Agent Gibbs just spoke with one of the Captains he has been visiting the other day. It seems like another one of his men who was supposed to come back this morning never showed up, and with the case going on, including our already two dead Marines, he is afraid now that some others who might soon come, too, from their vacation, well… _never do_.

— I guess prevention is better than cure, Jimmy instantly reacted.

Ducky briefly smiled at the reflexion, knowing it was perfectly the kind of thing that Mr Palmer could say…the only difference today was that there wasn't any energy in his voice while he was pronouncing these words.

— So what about now ? I guess that NCIS is gonna look for the missing man and hope for him to still be alive somewhere, and try to find the future men who might be missing ? Jimmy shortly tried to make the conversation.

— Well, about them there is no proof yet, as they are still supposed to be somewhere on vacation, but yes, that is the idea…I do guess that it will be the program of the day. But if you wish to have some more informations about this, he immediately spoke again, I am pretty sure that someone out there might be able to tell you ab…

— _It's okay_ , Jimmy quickly forced a smile for the umpteenth time of the morning, his top lip emotionlessly pressing the bottom one. It is none of my business anyway.

Ducky whished he could have intervened but finally powerlessly watched him go back to reading again a few lines from a file, incapable to decide whether or not he should try to be direct. Anyone else from the team who would have pronounced that kind of last sentence would have probably done it on purpose if something had once gone wrong for any reason, but he could swear that it was not the same about Jimmy Palmer.

No, indeed, Mr Palmer's heart was probably so dark for now that he certainly truly believed his own, terrible words.

— Do you need me for something ? Jimmy finally raised his head from the paper and briefly turned back, silence filling the space longer than expected.

— I beg your pardon ? Ducky repeated for the second time.

— I can help you if you need me for something, otherwise, I can correct that report I was telling you about, concerning Mrs Allmanstern's death.

— Oh no, please do, Mr Palmer, Ducky nodded with a new slight shaking he managed to hide, finally heading to his chair. I think I have myself…a few things to write.


	13. Whose fault is that ?

— _Marine Hirving ?_ Gibbs almost shouted as he hit the rectangle. NCIS, open the door !

Silence filled the place for some never ending seconds before a few potentially suspicious footsteps suddenly echoed from behind after an umpteenth knock on the door.

Jethro discreetly glanced and pointed a finger to different corners outside, indicating to his agents to be ready to intervene...

The entrance finally opened and revealed a barely awake woman, who jumped at the sight of the four armed people.

— _Wh_ …what's happening ? NCIS ? _Why_ ? she asked, both arms in the air.

— Your husband is in here, Mrs Hirving ? Ziva entered the house with no specific care, followed by the woman, still visibly confused.

— My _husband_ ? she repeated the word, seeming honestly surprised.

But she finally met Gibbs' serious eyes, rubbing her forehead with tiredness.

— _Oh no_ …she sighed.

— What is it ?

— _Uh_ , nothing, but…

Gibbs raised both questioning eyebrows.

— Well, you will not find him in here…because we have started a divorce procedure, now months ago, she admitted. _I…_ my ex husband, she sighed again, is usually not home anyway, so…so we've decided that for the moment, he could still let his name on the lease. It's just for receiving the mail and bills… We have a son, too. He still fully participates in his education, and…and it's easier then if he needs to come home for Steven. We only communicate by texts if we need too, otherwise we see each other when we talk to our lawyers.

— When will you see him again ? Tim asked.

— _Uh…_ let me check that… she kept on trembling a bit, opening her agenda…in two weeks.

— Mrs Hirving, Tony finally spoke, your ex husband has recently had some vacation...

— Y…yes, I know, he's seen Steven about a week ago, if I remember well.

— That's the last time you've been in contact with him ? Tony continued.

— Yes, but he told me…she swallowed hardly, visibly starting to feel overwhelmed by the situation. He told me he would do the transfer for Stevens…he promised to do it on time.

— And when does this payment have to be made ?

— _Tomorrow_ , she firmly said, trying to calm down the best she could. Every month at 16h, if…if he can't respect that specific hour he texts me. The…the bank usually doesn't take transfer in consideration after 17h00, why we agreed in the past about this time…

Ziva slowly breathed in and out, now trying to lower a bit her previous energy, and stared at the woman.

— May I ask you why you've started a divorce procedure, Mrs Hirving?

— _Future Martfield_ , she dryly said.

— Then, Mrs Martfield, she corrected, _why_?

The woman exhaled as a first answer and then faced the four agents in the room, rubbing her eyes.

— He cheated on me... _he only told me so_ , she added. He's always refused to tell me who it was, but it's happened long enough before he told the truth for me not to have second thoughts about forgiveness, she bitterly ended the conversation, Gibbs and his teammates only all sighing at once...

…When they finally all reached the bullpen later, Gibbs couldn't have felt more frustrated. They had spend most of the day talking to people and driving, and if it wasn't supposed to be something unusual to do during an investigation, this day still seemed to be leading nowhere. Marine Joshua Hirving hadn't been seen at his new apartment and hadn't been recently in touch with anyone of his current team either…

— I can bet what you're thinking, boss, Tony said, visibly amused.

— What, Dinozzo ?

— Marriage is only causing more troubles, he gently teased him.

— Wouldn't have said better, Jethro slightly shook his head as he kept moving, half smiling.

— So what…Tony then groaned, walking to his personal desk, we've won the 'wait until tomorrow' package ? Lize Samens' arrival, and now we have to check on the bank, too, to see if Hirving's still alive ?

— She has no idea where he could be, Tony…Ziva commented. The only potential place she told us about was empty, remember ? You'll just have to skip your snack time on Tuesday afternoon...

— Got it, David…

— _So if you got it, why are you still complaining !_ she gritted her teeth.

— McGee, Gibbs faced his agent.

— Yes, boss ?

— Change of plan, find the names of all the Marines supposed to be on vacation. I want them all to be contacted. And keep a look on the two fighting dogs out there, he added before leaving, glancing a last time at the still speaking duet.

— You're leaving NCIS ? Tim asked.

— Won't be far, Gibbs shook his head before heading to the elevator…

— What's up, Duck ? Gibbs asked, shortly looking if Palmer was around.

— I guess I should be the one asking you, don't you think, Jethro ? he smiled. Any update about the case ?

Gibbs only shook his head and approached a bit closer.

— Have work to do ? he asked, Ducky taking off his glasses, slowly sitting on his chair.

— I never thought I would say that in my entire life, but truth is that there is not enough dead and proofs at this very moment to give me enough work to do.

Gibbs chuckled as he heard the words, raising his new coffee cup of the day to his lips.

— I guess this is good for the world, but not really for my career, the medical examiner chuckled back. In fact, he added, I even had to send Mr Palmer to Abby's as she has kindly asked for some additional hands. Seems like everyone discovers that there still have some things from other cases to catch up when it comes for us to finally have some unexpected free time, but when the dead are already dead, well…

— Nothing amazing for us too, Jethro admitted. We go from a place to another, we interrogate people…I'm thinking again of sending them all home after I'll be sure that every person has been contacted. I don't like this, Ducky. So many things we could do, but so little informations.

— At least you'll still have that Mrs Samens to see tomorrow evening… Did you try contacting her husband, maybe ?

— Out there too, Gibbs neutrally commented, raising his cup to his lips.

— Ah…I can see that it is something that you still do not understand, do you, Jethro ? Ducky briefly sounded amused. But, you know, some couples _do_ go on humanitarian trips sometimes.

— _Figured_. So…he added after a pause, I guess you can send Palmer home when he'll be finished with Abby.

— I guess he'll be happy to know that, Ducky nodded.

— _Duck_.

— Yes, Jethro...?

— This is my fault, alright ? he sighed. _Listen..._ I don't know what the hell recently happened to him, but if he complains, as I think, about his importance in the team, I think he might be madder at me rather than at anyone else. I've never proved him I could really care about him at work and outside NCIS, that's a fact, and…

— Oh, Jethro…as much as I do appreciate your confession, which I know, shouldn't have been easy to pronounce, I have to say this time that it is certainly more complicated than that.

— Meaning ?

— _I_ am the one working with him everyday, if someone should have had noticed something, that should have been me. Oh, I am pretty sure, and I'll never doubt that he certainly has always had a huge admiration for you, Jethro, a very big one, but _I_ am the one working with him everyday... In the perfect world, of course, I wouldn't have hoped less than only beautiful relationships between all of us at NCIS, but in the _real_ world, truth is that you don't _need_ all of this. Respect, for sure, but if he should, at least, must have been certain to have a full trust in someone, well... _it must have been me._

— Palmer is a great guy...Gibbs admitted.

— ...but you do not show him the same consideration, Jethro, _and that's not a thing we have to speak about_ , he immediately added, willing to continue his explanation. Listen, when I first got this conversation with him, I do have to say that I was somehow blaming you, _yes_ , maybe it was easier for me to listen to his worries and accuse you for his sadness when he was confessing it…

— Did you try talking with him again ? Jethro finally asked _the_ question.

— _I froze_.

Gibbs raised both eyebrows as he heard the unexpected answer.

— You _froze_ ?

The medical examiner put on his glasses and sadly stared at Jethro.

— There was so much sadness in his whole being that I felt that, somehow, I would damage him more if I was trying anything…that I would, maybe, damage myself even more if I was anyhow participating another time, speaking too much…shaking the already so existing pain inside of this boy.

Ducky heavily paused and finally loudly exhaled, rubbing his forehead…

— You always think it's gonna be easier because you know the people you have to talk to, don't you…he slowly pronounced in the end and did not finish his sentence, Gibbs silently looking back at him, as if to say, «I know».


	14. The silent ME

— _Hey, Ducky !_ Abby's face suddenly appeared in the middle of the screen, making the medical examiner jump and leave his thoughts.

— Abigail…he gently sighed and approached the rectangle, didn't I tell you that it was a bad idea doing so ?

— _Well…technically, you've only said it last time I planned on surprising Gibbs, not you !_

— Only difference is that I am the only one truly risking a heart attack, he smiled.

— _Got it, Ducky ! Far be it from me to kill you with my video chats !_

— Do you need anything else ? he asked and smiled again.

— _Nope, only called to return you Jimmy...we're done !_

— Alright, is Mr Palmer still with you at the moment ?

— _He is, Ducky ! By the way_ , she added as she turned back, _what are you still doing here, Jimmy ? Come and join us !_

— Oh, do not worry ab…the medical examiner tried to say, but the one who obviously hadn't wanted to be there was already justifying himself as he could.

— _Sorry, Abby, I was only looking a last time at something…do you need anything, Dr Mallard ?_ Jimmy spoke with the same, new kind of voice tone that was now so proper to him, although he was always making the effort of clearly speaking when it was about work.

Ducky discreetly smiled, briefly lost in his thoughts. Yes, this boy could become the coldest person on earth, he would probably never renounce to professionalism.

— _Don't you think this boy is getting weird ?_ Abby chuckled and naïvely begun speaking again, both barely talkative men silently feeling the strangeness of the situation. _You know, you should try to go out, sometimes, Jimmy !_

— I spoke with Jethro a bit earlier, Ducky continued the conversation, and it seems like both of us can leave now if we're not kept busy elsewhere.

— _Well, some of us are lucky…!_ Abby smiled and took a short look at Jimmy.

— I guess we can see it that way, my dear Abigail, Ducky smiled back.

— _Alright, thank you for telling me_ , Palmer finally nodded, already moving a bit forward from the screen. _I'm gonna take my things and I will see you tomorrow, then._

Ducky shortly agreed and watched the screen getting darker again after Abby quickly told him goodbye, wondering why Mr Palmer had taken the time to pronounce that last sentence. Maybe it was only pure politeness again, and then he was just stupidly overthinking it, or maybe it was said as if it was some kind of prevention line, giving him the choice to be out before this young man comes back… Well, this situation happening or not, he would probably freeze like the other day, and simply let Mr Palmer leave all alone, not trying to hold him back…

Ducky tried not to think of it and only started to pack his things, ready to go home after another quite empty, bitter day…

— Jethro...? Are you still at NCIS ? Ducky gently asked, putting his fork next to his plate again, phone now in one hand.

— _About to leave._

— Well…is there any update with the case ? Ducky turned curiouser, waiting for some more.

— _Unfortunately…not._

The medical examiner simply sighed, taking a quick glance at the newspaper's article he'd been reading before the call.

— _You tried calling him again, didn't you._

— I didn't dare…Ducky smiled, although he was not feeling joyful at all. Is that _why_ you called, Jethro ? You thought I would be wallowing ? he briefly, sadly chuckled.

— _Just had a feeling._

— I am always amazed to see how many feelings you seem to have and think of when you usually don't want to show any of them in public, Ducky smiled another time.

There was no answer on the other side, but he could have sworn that there had been, at least, one silent reaction. He knew Gibbs too well.

— Actually, sometimes I wish that I could be like you, Jethro, he continued, solving things by only tracking the number of your own men, pushing a door or two against their will, being just cruel enough to let them spit the pain out of their bodies before they start healing their way…but I am not like that. _Oh no…_ he sadly chuckled, I am too old for that, and I am still not sure if this…'method' of yours doesn't finally damage even more the soul of anyone in the end… You know, yesterday, when I tried calling him all these times, before we went to his apartment…truth is that it was already too _painful_ to listen to all these rings…constantly leading to voicemail, he swallowed hardly. Yes, Jethro, truth is that I really wanted to be sure that he would be alright, but…would I have been able to talk to him face to face if he finally had answered the phone or opened the door ?

— _Give him some time, Ducky. That's still Jimmy, remember ? He'll come back to you eventually… Listen, I have to go..._

— Then I will see you tomorrow. Thank you for calling, Jethro. At least, I am happy to see that I am still capable to have a conversation with someone else from the team.

— _Bye, Duck._

Gibbs tapped the steering wheel of his vehicle.

'Voicemail'.

He heavily sighed and finally opened the door of his car, heading back to NCIS' building. Sometimes he was forgetting how old Ducky could be, including the fact that he could be, too, like him, not very familiar with all this technology. If only he had realized it yesterday… Yes, Ducky had said yesterday evening that Jimmy's phone was keeping on going to voicemail, so he hadn't thought himself of trying tracing it…but what Ducky hadn't realized, nor thought to say, was that Jimmy's phone _was_ actually ringing…so was on. He briefly smiled at his own thoughts, picture his ME getting confused about voicemail explanations, before he dialed someone's number…the elevator revealing Ziva as he reached the bullpen.

— Gibbs ! she almost jumped.

— What are you doing here ?

— I had forgotten some documents on my desk. I just came to pick them up.

Jethro stared at her for a second, thinking…why calling someone else from the team when one of the best persons at keeping secrets was literally in front of him ?

— Have a minute to spare before you go ? he asked.

…Gibbs parked in front of the _FireMelon_ and left his vehicle with some small, but still existing apprehension, wondering why he was really being here...  
Ducky ? Personal feeling of guiltiness ? Loyalty he owed to NCIS ?  
And what would he see then, once inside ? What would he say ?  
Yes, somehow, Gibbs was now feeling guilty, but he didn't know if it was because he really had something to blame himself for, or because he was only doing this in order to make himself feel better...

When he finally pushed the wooden door from the outside, he faced the yellow lights of the now more intimate place, space for the moment only half empty…  
Definitely not the kind of place he would go to, although he usually felt like he wasn't really going anywhere anyway, but not that bad looking.  
He glanced at the place for a second before he finally saw him, sitting at a table... Gibbs discreetly sighed and approached the barman in the end, ordering drinks, asking him a question or two while some music was still playing around…

…Jimmy was rubbing his tired face when he saw the two glasses of whisky being put on the table, both by a hand he was definitely not expecting to see.

— _I can't believe it…_ he suddenly mumbled instead of jumping on his chair like he would have usually reacted, visibly torn between his real despising comment and an irreplaceable sensation of feeling punished.

Jethro discreetly smiled at the sight of Jimmy, although he could see real sadness in his whole being. In fact, Palmer might not have looked energetic at all during working hours, there was still some strength, due to his extreme new coldness, that had been constantly here…and now that alcohol was doing its job, Jimmy was still being the same, shutting himself down and suffering, but he was more 'relaxed', too, in a way…and so, at least, ready to listen…and _react_.

— Enjoying your night, Palmer ?

— I just arrived, he lied.

— _Yeah_ , Gibbs briefly chuckled, a few hours ago, certainly.

— It is not a crime to go to some place and have some drinks, if I'm not wrong.

— It's not. In fact, I even think it is good sometimes to do so…I'm just surprised to discover that you've been practicing it for two days now…didn't think it was your style.

— I don't have any style, Jimmy almost groaned. Don't you have other investigations to focus on, Agent Gibbs ? These techniques are maybe working with the other people from your team, but I would like to be left alone, now.

— _Techniques ?_ Jethro smiled.

— Goodbye, Agent Gibbs, Palmer finally focused on finishing his previous drink, staring at the wall.

— I'm not moving, Palmer. Not yet.

— Then I'd be glad if you could find another table...Jimmy kept trying to be polite.

— I'm afraid that it won't be possible.

Jimmy sighed and watched his world starting turning a bit around him, but he quickly focused again on the bottle of beer he had between fingers, ready to get rid of Gibbs' presence as soon as possible…and at any cost.

— Alright, what do you want, Agent Gibbs ?


	15. Truth hurts

Gibbs sat at Jimmy's table, the opposite pair of eyes momentarily looking away from him. Finally, after a minute or two, Jimmy exhaled and tried to focus the best he could.

— Human beings are cruel, Palmer.

Jimmy bitterly smiled and finally glanced at Jethro, raising his beer to his lips.

— What an amazing way to start the conversation, Agent Gibbs. _Very deep_.

Gibbs briefly chuckled and sit up onto his chair, not knowing if he was feeling the irony to the bone or somehow appreciating this new speaking version of Jimmy.

— What's wrong, Palmer ? he continued.

— Why don't you tell me instead what you really want, Agent Gibbs ?

— Only want to know what's going on, he neutrally answered.

If Jimmy hadn't been so afraid of repercussions…and probably so afraid in general, he would probably have listened to his guts and punched him right in the face. Who did he think he was ? Always presenting himself like the big savior of the world, keeping all his tortured memories for himself as if, somehow, he deserved it, constantly breaking the rules…intruding people's lives to finally just pretend that there was nothing very serious that he wanted to talk about.

— You are not God, Agent Gibbs…he seriously said, not minding for the words to come out of his mouth.

— Did I ever pretend ?

Jimmy raised his head a bit higher, not aware of the cold pain in his eyes that he was sharing to the person in front, and really faced Gibbs.

— I think you do, sometimes.

Jimmy paused for a minute but didn't look away, so Jethro waited then for what would be next, some new reality no one had ever dared telling him now literally exploding to his face.

— You are not a bad person, Agent Gibbs. I even think that you are one of the best persons I've ever had the chance to meet in my entire life…but you're not fair.

Jethro frenetically shook his head as he kept looking at him, as if to hold back some strange feeling that was trying to come out of himself, but Jimmy didn't seem to have a single thought about stopping. Yes, normal Jimmy would have stopped at the sound of his first, previous despising comment, but the new Jimmy Palmer, even if not sober, had now really serious things to say…things he knew, somehow, he could have said without the help of that much alcohol.

— You're destroying the people around you, and you do not even see it. People have respect and compassion for you, and you let them enter in your world without making it look like it, and as soon as they're inside…it's too late.

— What changed, Palmer ? Gibbs finally asked, not trying to argue about what had just been said.

— I only became tired of not minding people who are not caring.

— We do.

Jimmy had expected to make a comment, but the only natural answer which came out of his mouth was a chuckle. Gibbs slowly pushed with two fingers the glass he had recently brought for Palmer and raised the second drink to his own lips.

Jimmy silently observed him for a second, not especially for any reason, only curious to see his boss swallow something else than coffee, for once.

— You're gonna explode, Palmer, if you keep on shutting yourself down like that.

— _Already done_ , Jimmy coldly admitted, before he started drinking what had been given to him. The monster is already behind.

But Gibbs only briefly laughed again, something that instantly made Jimmy want to punch him in the face, this time more than ever.

— Alright, I'm leaving, he said as he tried to stand up, but Gibbs grabbed his arm and he stayed where he was. That's enough, Agent Gibbs, he finally continued, if you have something to say, _do say it_ , otherwise one of us will definitely have to get out of here.

— You think you really had a breakdown, Palmer ?

— Why don't you go interrogate my car, Jimmy disdainfully answered, drinking another sip of his bitter whisky.

— _Hey_ , Gibbs suddenly shook one of his shoulders. Wake up, Palmer ! You get out of bed one morning and head to work after years of service with no specific trouble, if probably none at all, and after one umpteenth reflexion, or…comment, he hesitated, not really knowing how all of this had precisely started, you question your whole life from its complete beginning !

— It is not only about NCIS, Ag…

— _I know_ , Palmer, but according to the time you're spending and have been spending there, I seriously doubt that you haven't got any resentment against…

— _I'm an adult_ , Jimmy interrupted him, this time. I have been given an amazing opportunity by being taken for this job, years ago, and I am still willing to do it the best way possible.

— You have been given the job because you have the potential, Gibbs corrected.

— What is really worrying you, Agent Gibbs ? Jimmy finally confronted him, tired and exasperated.

If drinking alone in bars two nights in a row had been far from being the perfect definition of wonderful evenings for him, he had, at least, expected to spend them all alone…with no reprimands from anyone, _especially_ from NCIS. He was tired of people messing with him…

He sighed and took another brief look at the wall, now emptying his glass…  
He knew they were not bad persons. In fact, they were pretty much the opposite…but truth was that they were not from his world. They hadn't accepted him.

— You care about Dr Mallard, don't you ? Jimmy asked the question in the end, although Gibbs could see that it was, as well, affecting him.

 _Yes, Palmer was definitely a good guy._

— I do, Jethro neutrally answered, hiding, as usual, his feelings.

— I do care about him, too.

This time, Gibbs slightly smiled as he heard the few words, glad to see that something was finally working a bit.  
Palmer didn't need any other explanation. He was filling himself the silences.

— I'll do my best, he nodded and promised. _I love my work, Agent Gibbs_ , he sadly added after pausing, so I'll do my best to make it easier for him, if this is what it costs.

Gibbs briefly nodded in return, staring at him… That probably wasn't the good way. Like this, Jimmy was only going back to what he was sure now to be hating : accepting services to make other people's lives easier.  
But he guessed that was still something for the moment. And that would mean a lot for Ducky.

— Come on, he finally said, I'll give you a ride.

— Thank you, Agent Gibbs, but this place is not far from mine, and I'd rather be walking, Jimmy commented as he started to stand up.

Now that the man had joined him and ruined everything anyway, there was no need in prolonging the night…

— _Got you, Palmer !_ Gibbs suddenly grabbed his waist and shoulder, Jimmy now feeling the effects of alcohol double, if not triple inside his brain as he stood on both feet. I'm giving you a ride, Palmer, and that's an order…

…Gibbs stayed a moment inside his car after he watched Jimmy reaching his apartment, fingertips nervously tapping his vehicle's steering wheel…  
Was he actually worried about Palmer ?  
He glanced another time through the window of his car, only facing the closed shutters of the building…  
Palmer had always been the nice guy. No doubt he'd been living quite 'traditionally', if it was alright calling it so, and he had probably never really fought with his parents, nor anyone else…  
Gibbs stared at the closed shutters again, trying to get rid of his thoughts...  
Yes, he hadn't spoken of it, because it wasn't his style at all, and according to Palmer's new state of mind, he'd probably have directly laughed in his face…

' _Go home, Jethro_ ' he thought. ' _He's not gonna run away_ '.

Yes, Jimmy had never been complicated, and probably too scared to go through any confrontation…and this one he had finally had with Gibbs about this case had, somehow, been the beginning of his inside breakdown, as if something different was now willing to come out in order to take his revenge, getting rid of all these years of obedience… Of course, it was not only about NCIS, although it was obvious that he'd never felt considered enough by any of his co-workers...  
Yes, Jimmy Palmer had made a promise to be nicer with Ducky, but he was on his way to some silent disease people were usually not believing in, something that could strike him seriously and endanger him...

Gibbs sighed to what seemed to be obvious...  
Yes, he was afraid that Palmer might make, _one day_ , a burnout.


	16. Case is moving on

Jimmy slowly walked in order to enter the room, his head still carrying the burden of a small migraine, hardly trying to convince his own brain to be soon obedient…

' _You can do it'_ Jimmy silently and reluctantly told himself, still not believing he had made such a promise. How stupid he was.  
' _Very fair, again, Agent Gibbs,_ he kept thinking. _You are so worried about me that you don't mind asking me to be nice for everyone. Nice little Jimmy,_ he pushed the irony to its limits, _why don't you become a boy scout forever, yeah, that's a job for you. Wearing the uniform and smiling obediently is the only thing that you can manage doing properly. '_

He slightly jumped when the automatic doors closed behind him and interrupted his thoughts, and he then finally decided himself to walk in the table's direction, a still visibly tense grip around his bag. He sighed and glanced at the momentarily empty space… Which other choice did he have anyway ?  
It was not like if he could ask for two weeks of holidays…well, according to his almost inexistent absences, he certainly could, but as much as he could enjoy having some free time here and there, he knew that he would certainly too easily get bored by constantly doing nothing... But there was no more time to think.  
The old silhouette finally approached the same entrance he had himself previously reached, and Jimmy Palmer swallowed hardly, as if it was his last chance doing so, knowing he had now no more than ten seconds to turn into someone else.

— Good morning, Mr Palmer, Ducky gently pronounced, waiting anyway to get no less than a cold answer in return.

— Good morning, Dr Mallard, Jimmy smiled and briefly faced the medical examiner, Ducky not believing his ears, nor the gentle facial expression that he was currently seeing.

— A…anything new before I arrived, Mr Palmer ? Ducky normally continued the conversation, trying not to reveal how strangely happy he was feeling now.

— _I just arrived, too, to be honest, but I think we could d..._

Ducky discreetly watched the young man but didn't say anything personal yet.  
Yes, this was certainly a bit odd, but if no one could have predicted Jimmy's last violent reaction, who could know if this wasn't part of the process ?  
Well, acting or not, and for good or bad, whatever the reason was, he'd figure that later, as it was completely out of the question for him now to ruin such a moment of long awaited peace…

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

— I feel like I'm waiting for the winning numbers, Tim childishly smiled, eyes staring at his computer.

— Except that the money isn't for you, McPriceIsRight.

— Come on, Tony, be tolerant for the ones who do not have your budget, Ziva neutrally commented, taking some notes.

— Well, _thank you very much_ , Tim's blood started to boil, but I earn my living pretty well.

— You're a NCIS Agent, McGeek, you'll _never_ earn your living pretty well…

— Some people are just happy with what they have, Tony !

— Are you still talking about me, Ziva ? Tim started to turn really mad, because, if yes, _thank you_ , but I don't need your help !

— _Wow…_ Tony let his body turn onto his chair and laughed, staring at them, Probie finally became a man...`

— I'm a writer too, Tony, and I make money out of it !

— _Yeah_ , he chuckled, not my kind of literature.

— Certainly not, Tim reacted, but my books are pretty heavy, actually, so quite good to be thrown right in your face !

— _When did you become that violent, McGee ?_ Gibbs suddenly asked as he appeared from nowhere, Tim's previous feeling of proudness concerning his joke immediately vanishing with Jethro's arrival.

— _Uh, boss, I…_ I only do that in my free time, he finally pronounced, not finding any other words to continue the conversation.

— _16h00_ , Ziva announced, glancing at them all.

Gibbs walked to Tim's desk, raising both eyebrows.

— So ?

— _Uh_ , let me check, boss… Well…nothing. But we should still wait a few minutes, right ? We cannot expect for the money to be here to the minute.

— This guy never heard of automatic transfers ?

— They're about to divorce, Tony, maybe he feels better controlling every penny coming in and out of his account.

— Well, whose fault is that, uh ? he gritted his teeth, thinking back of why the couple had split up…

 _…But five minutes later, still nothing._

— Alright, let's go, Gibbs said.

— To the airport, _now_ ? Tony reacted. I was just thinking of going to the bathroom for a min… _uh_ , you know what, he finally said after a pause, Jethro's glance freezing him to the bone, I've always preferred the…airport bathrooms. They're very clean, and...everything, he nervously smiled and gesticulated, Tim and Ziva heading with him to the elevator, silently mocking him…

— ...Mrs and Mr Samens ? Ziva asked to the couple, in the middle of that crowded space.

— _Lize Samens ?_ Gibbs insisted.

The woman's hand briefly left the one of her husband, herself now approaching a bit closer.

— Can I help you ? We were about to take a cab, as you can see, we are pretty…she started to point a finger at her luggages, but the agents didn't let her finish.

— Mrs and Mr Samens, we need you to follow us to NCIS.

…The new group of people finally reached the building and headed to a private, lighted room, where a discussion was about to take place.

— ...I still can't believe it, are you telling me that I have no family anymore ? Lize Samens spoke again, her husband's hand patiently waiting on her shoulder, showing some support.

— You still have your mother, he said.

— She is in an institution, Damian, half of the time she doesn't even _recognize_ me.

— Mrs Samens, is there anything that you could tell us about you brother in law, Marine Philip Frank ?

— He was a very nice man. And he truly loved my sister, she insisted. But are you sure he didn't commit suicide ? I thought you had told me that the wound on…she pointed a finger at her own temple.

They all could see that she was trying to make an effort to be clear and present, but the tiredness due to the shock and the exhausting travel was definitely not helpful.

— We take every possibility in consideration, Ziva simply nodded, reflexively glancing at Gibbs.

— Any trouble that you could have heard of ? he asked.

— _No_ , he was a very good Marine, too, according to my sister. Oh, I can't believe it…she raised a hand to her eyes, momentarily hiding them.

Ziva brought a glass of water and gently put it in front of her.

— We discovered another body, Mrs Samens, she slowly started speaking again, Gibbs still sitting next to her. It was another Marine, and it seemed like both men already knew each other from outside work. Maybe you could help us about that.

— Alright, the tired face asked. What's his name ? Do you have a picture, maybe ?

— His name was Marine Martin Pitt, Ziva answered. We think there might be a link between…

Lize Samens' face instantly turned pale as she heard the name, paler that it already was, in fact, and she then slowly opened her mouth, wondering if this was really happening.

— Wait, did you just say 'Marine Martin Pitt' ? she unexpectedly turned angrier.

— You've known him ? Gibbs asked.

— If I've 'known him' ? she repeated, fire in her eyes. That son of a bitch has raped my sister a few weeks before her death.


	17. What they did to my sister

— Hold on a second, Mr Samens said…what did you just say ?

— _Look, it's compl…_ she sighed, before pausing. She had made me promise to keep the secret, she finally admitted.

— Did Philip ever knew ? he kept asking, Ziva and Gibbs only listening to the discussion, Damian Samens visibly making the job for them.

— I don't know… _I_ _think_ so…more or less. _Yes..._

— You don't, or… ? Mr Samens interrupted himself, trying not to rush her too much. Tell me, what do you mean, honey ?

Both agents still didn't add a word, but Lize could see in Gibbs' glance that he was interested, too, by the question.

— Like I told you, she deeply breathed in, taking a sip of her water, I _did_ understood that she had told him the truth, if not the name of her aggressors.

— What, she told him she'd been attacked by a stranger ? her husband asked again, before Gibbs, or Ziva, could have said anything else.

Ziva briefly glanced at him. She didn't make any comment, but she could almost hear his strong opinion about married couple's conversations...

— She was completely under shock, Damian. _That's..._ that's the promise she made for me. She gave her word that she would give him the names after she'd gather all the proofs necessary, but in exchange, I was giving mine to corroborate with her version, supposed to be thinking, too, it had happened with a stranger. She needed _support_ , that was all I was asking for now. She needed Philip to know, at least, the big part of the story.

— Did he actually _believed_ that ? Damian Samens questioned her another time, rubbing his tired face.

— This kind of situation is very common. A lot of men usually approach their victims, fully dressed in dark clothes, and…

— Come on, you must have been watching too many TV shows, I guess, according to how much you seem to know about all of these…

— It wasn't my decision to make ! Lize interrupted her husband. _Listen_ , she tried calming down a bit, she needed to have Philip here for her, _why_ I insisted for her to explain to him what had happened, but it wasn't my role to reveal every detail before…

— _Mrs and Mr Samens_ , Ziva interrupted them, in turn. We're not here to give life lessons to anyone. All we want now is to find out about what really happened in this case.

— Alright, Damian apologized. _I'm sorry_ , he added, looking at everyone, visibly torn between worry thoughts he had for his wife, who had kept such a heavy secret all this time, and hard nostalgia due to rememberance, now that he was thinking back of Philip.

After all, both men had been very good friends for many years, already knowing each other before Philip Frank's wedding, and after that…well, marriage hadn't last long, and it was such a tragedy...  
Cassandra had been a wonderful fiancee. _And bride..._ if only momentarily.

— What happened ? Ziva gently asked.

— _We..._ we went to the hospital together, I know Philip would have hated me for that, but…we needed to see first if there was any official proof before she would told him about what happened…in case he'd discovered himself any positive results concerning any identity…I mean, you know. If they had found anything and she had then given a name to check on... Philip wasn't home that night anyway.

Lize Samens stopped for a second and slowly rubbed her forehead, trying to get rid of the thoughts... The male hand was back to her shoulder again, so it persuaded her to continue.

— I discovered that he had finally 'taken care'…she kept talking, of not leaving any…she swallowed hardly. You know what I mean, she revealed a devastated facial expression, disgusting herself for the images that were now coming to her head. She had been drinking quite a lot, she told me so...so she didn't manage to fight back the way she would have wanted…in the end, all they found was the sign that they had kissed. Some saliva she refused to identify on the man as long as she didn't have more proofs to provide. She didn't believe it herself, she sadly chuckled after a pause. But maybe she...maybe she just didn't want to disappoint me by giving up, she smiled with the same feeling, rubbing her neck with desperation.

— Not enough to go to trial, I guess, Gibbs finally commented.

— Like you just said, Lize Samens sighed, sparks of sadness now shining in her eyes. Yes, my sister was pretty good at keeping secrets, but come on, I guess that you know as much as I do that as soon as she would have officially started an accusation, his man would have been living a nightmare at work. I know this is usually something very easy to say when we do not want to cause trouble to anyone, and especially for ourselves, but this time, I _really_ think that she did it in order to protect him. She only needed more... You do not accuse a Marine of rape when it only looks like you've been drinking too much and having an affair with your husband's best man. You know it would have ruined his reputation.

— I am truly, _very_ sorry, Mrs Samens, Ziva put a kind hand onto the woman's one, Lize now feeling two palms of compassion.

She freed in the end her second one and joined Damian's kind fingers onto her shoulder...  
Everyone around could see how hard these last few months should have been for her and her man, and yet how worst the next ones would undoubtedly be.

— _Wait_ , Gibbs finally started speaking again. Did you say _aggressors_ ?

— I did, Lize tried to get back to reality, the previous short silence reminding her very deep, painful memory.

— Were they others ?

— Yes…she painfully admitted.

— Other Marines ? Ziva reacted as neutrally as possible, not willing to imply an answer before she could obtain the official one.

Lize Samens simply nodded, her fingers tightened around her husband's ones.

— We didn't see a lot of them at the wedding when we tried to gather all the pictures available, Gibbs mentioned. Were they present that day ? Maybe if you had some more to show us from that day...

Lize Samens nodded another time.

— I seriously doubt that you should find a lot a pictures with him, Agent Gibbs. In fact, she continued, probably none, as _he_ was the photographer.

Some disgusting memory came up to her mind again…and again, she just hoped that she could forget them all.

— It was supposed to be a wonderful day, she lowly said. And even if this… _horrible_ moment didn't happen on the D-day…now all I think of are these cruel men representing Philip's work and social circle… Now I feel like all these pictures that this man took are just dirty, and that make me want to cut them all. _He didn't touch her_ , she finally slowly added. But I think that what he did was even worst.

— _He_ _?_ Gibbs asked.

— Who are you talking about, Mrs Samens ? Ziva slowly questioned her, too.

— _Hirving…_ she almost whispered in the end, fire in her eyes again, like the first time she had talked about Marine Martin Pitt.

Lize felt the hand pressing her shoulder with some additional comfort, tears now trying more than ever to escape from her angry eyes.

— Hirving, she repeated, louder. Marine Joshua Hirving is the number two that you should be looking for.


	18. Precious diary

Gibbs had no idea for how long they had all been staying in that room, speaking about unbelievable things… Yes, once again, it had been a proof that human beings were capable of the worst things ever.

— …What is the link between Hirving and Pitt, then ? Tony asked him later.

— Seems like both men were pretty close to each other too, Ziva answered instead.

— _How ironic..._

— Yeah, it's like we cannot trust anybody, nowadays…Tim sadly commented.

— That's why I never let you drive, David, Tony teased her from behind his desk. I do not trust people using their vehicle onto the pavements.

— _Hey_ , Gibbs interrupted the multiple conversations. Focus !

Ziva glanced at Tony but didn't say anything about this. He would pay later for what he'd said.

— When Hirving started feeling suspicious about Cassandra Frank's potential accusation against Marine Martin Pitt, she continued, he threatened to ridicule her and contradict her testimony.

— Two decorated Marines against one drunk civilian's testimony...Tim sadly commented, she hadn't a single chance.

— Lize Samens, her sister, didn't get a lot more than this from her, but she told us that there might be something else to know...

— _Like ?_ Tony asked.

— Diary, Gibbs answered.

— Is she at her place, already ? You let her in ?

— She is, Gibbs nodded. She knows more about her sister than we do, so she's the more inclined to find a diary if there is one. Maybe we'll have more informations about what happened.

— _I remember having one, when I was a kid..._ Tony suddenly remembered.

— _Oh, really ? And what was inside ? Your list of the girls you were planning to persecute ?_ Ziva attacked.

— _Yeah, David, and your name was right on the first line...!_

Tim rolled his eyes at the sight of the umpteenth fight of the day and double-clicked a few times on his computer, revealing again onto the screen the face of Marine Joshua Hirving. This case was turning very complicated. For two days, they had been mostly and boringly looking for wedding pictures and basic informations on social medias, talking to a few people, but not getting anything really helpful in return, as if time had completely stopped after they'd found both bodies…and now they had this overload of elements literally exploding to their faces, all mixed up and confusing, and it was hard really knowing where to start. Well, to be honest, it was not especially unusual to face a case like this one, with everything coming in a strange order, but still, no one was against, sometimes, a _little_ more of organization.

 _Two days later…_

— Anything new, Dr Mallard ?

— Not really, Mr Palmer, Ducky stayed focused on what he was currently reading, Jimmy approaching a little.

— Profiling ?

— _Uh_ , kind of, yes, he chuckled. Working on psychological profiles is very interesting, if still quite confusing, from time to time...

— What about it ?

— Well...opening a body is already, according to my humble opinion, a way of crossing the line concerning intimacy, but reading and analyzing a personal diary makes me sometimes feel even more guilty. I seriously doubt that our dear Mrs Frank ever thought of someone discovering her deepest secrets, especially someone reading it with its lot of dead people around…

— I'm sure she'd understand, Jimmy gently smiled.

— I hope she would, Ducky smiled back.

Jimmy walked to one of the tables and slowly started cleaning it, checking on the material around, when the automatic doors finally opened, revealing Gibbs and Ziva.

— Good evening to the both of you, the ME raised his head in their direction.

— Hello, Ducky, Ziva nicely spoke. Good evening, Jimmy.

— Good evening to you too, he politely spoke as well, briefly staring at the duet. Agent Gibbs, he nodded before going back to his cleaning duty.

— Any sign of your missing Marine ? Ducky asked the two of them.

— Payment has never been done, so he must be in a pretty bad shape, Gibbs neutrally commented.

— If not dead, Ziva coldly added.

— I must potentially agree with both options, the medical examiner nodded, pointing a finger at the diary, according to the way we found Marine Martin Pitt. But could anyone tell me why did we need two days to find these pages ?

— First, we weren't even sure there would be some, Ziva explained, but her sister remembered her writing her thoughts all the time when they were still teenagers, so let's say that she had a feeling. Moreover, we lost time looking in the wrong places.

— Oh ? What about that ?

— We've been searching for them the logical way. With Lize Samens' help, we've looked in every corner, but mostly where Cassandra Philip could have put it. But her husband found it after her death, and he kept it with him. One agent finally got it, it was carefully hidden under a piece of wood, under the floor.

— Cliche, certainly, but an undoubtedly safe place for such a precious accusation proof, Ducky nodded, isn't it, Mr Palmer ?

— I'm sure it is, he briefly smiled as he was still perfectly cleaning, although no one could see his face anyway.

— It is written in here, the ME continued, that she limped for a few days after that...insane act of cruelty, due to the uncomfort of the moment, and that _does_ explain the broken leg of Marine Martin Pitt.

— He must have pushed her too much, Gibbs neutrally said.

— He was sending a message, Ziva coldly agreed with Ducky.

— I will not contradict you anyhow about that, but then what can we expect for someone like Marine Joshua Hirving, if he didn't touch her ? Simple death ? Suffering ?

— That's why we came, Gibbs said.

Ducky raised a curious, but interested face, waiting for more, Jethro gently nodding in Ziva's direction, as if to let her give the final word...

— I've seen a lot of things like that, in Israel... Listen, I cannot tell for sure if Marine Hirving is still alive somewhere, but whatever the answer is about that, I might not be wrong by saying that he'll never _speak_ anymore...

— _Oh..._ Ducky's body slightly shook, showing his understanding, so when Mrs Samens said that he had threatened her sister to _speak_ …

— Yes, Ziva nodded and continued. Dead or not, I'm pretty sure we'll find his tongue out of his mouth.

Ducky froze for a second, glancing at the two agents.

— That sounds rather disgusting, he commented.

— You have no idea, Ziva ironically smiled. And wait to find it cut after a few days...it's even worst.

— ...Did we finish everything, Mr Palmer ? Ducky slowly pointed a finger around the room, wondering if there was anything else that they might have forgotten.

— Everything is alright, if not our Marine, who's still missing...Jimmy quickly chuckled.

— Any plan for tonight ? the medical examiner asked, now trying to end the day with a lighter subject of conversation.

— Nothing much. I see you tomorrow, then.

— _Yes..._ Ducky quickly smiled. I see you tomorrow, Mr Palmer.

Jimmy walked to the elevator and saw Gibbs going out of it, the brief moment of silence between both of them looking like it'd last an eternity… Jethro shortly shook his head for no explainable reason and only walked to the automatic doors, facing the old man ready to go.

— _Oh, dear…_ uh, Jethro, he started asking when he saw the cup of coffee reaching his working place again, have you seen Mr Palmer ?

— He just left, Gibbs pointed a finger at the now closed elevator.

— _Uh, alright,_ he boringly exhaled _, do you need anyth…_ oh, please, just wait a second.

And so Gibbs stayed where he was, watching Ducky dialing a number on his phone, finally renouncing to the call only after a couple of seconds.

— Voicemails…he smilingly sighed.

— Something wrong ?

— No, none at all, actually I just remembered that we could have given something back to Abigail before leaving, but well, I guess we'll do this tomorrow... Alright, he focused again, what can I do for you ?

— I forgot to ask you if you would need the diary for tonight ?

— _Ah..._ Ducky chuckled, Bourbon and a bit of reading, Jethro ? You and I aren't very different, aren't we.

Gibbs smiled as he watched Ducky reach her desk, giving him back the diary.

— Thanks Duck, have a good night.

— I will certainly have…

…Gibbs reached the bullpen again and slowly approached his personal space, taking a first, closer look at the diary before heading home. Place was silent as hell.

He finally quickly closed the hand-written book and stared at the almost empty space, thinking…

Well, he couldn't blame him for doing so… No one really liked to be spied on, right, and especially Jimmy, _especially_ after he'd been forced, once again, and this, _because of him_ , to execute the orders…to make everyone happy.

No, he certainly wouldn't be back to the FireMelon. Not since the last time they had seen each other.  
He would certainly be too scared of being followed again...

But then, there was only one question remaining :  
Which bar would the new Jimmy Palmer pick for tonight, in order to forget another time all this masquerade ?


	19. Marine Joshua Hirving

Jimmy's memories of last night were pretty unclear, and if the migraine had been quite small a few days ago, it seemed like nothing was really getting better about it.  
Yes, as a new regular drinker, Jimmy had thought that the brain could get somehow used to it, after all, that's sounded rather logical, but truth was that there was nothing else but water and good sleep to avoid his mornings from being too detestable.

He sighed and quickly stared at the wall…

He had, at least, discovered a few good beers and bar snacks…well, that was quite sad to hear, explained that way, but if Jimmy really had to be honest, he didn't know if eating omelettes while playing crosswords was especially more exciting.

Yeah, these days, he needed nothing less but to forget his worries, in order to face the days…

— ... _Are you alright, Mr Palmer ?_

Jimmy suddenly left his thoughts and slowly moved his arms away from the table, tiredly facing Ducky, realizing now how much this body position could hurt… He simply made his shoulders roll a bit and tried getting rid of the cramp.

— _Yes._ Sorry, Dr Mallard. Didn't get a lot of sleep, yesterday.

— _Oh…_ any party with some friends, maybe ? the ME smiled.

— None at all, he answered. Just didn't get enough sleep, he repeated.

— Why don't you go out for a minute and have a coffee, Mr Palmer ? Some natural light from upstairs and a bit of caffeine should definitely do you some good.

— I'm okay, I can take some later...

— No, no, no, _I insist_ , Mr Palmer. You know, the team might soon have a new lead concerning where Marine Joshua Hirving could be for now, so if they do find the body on their way and call, I will need you to be ready to go.

Jimmy raised his head and finally nicely nodded at Ducky. If he hadn't really wanted to face the team while he would have taken some coffee upstairs, he had no idea that they were all about to leave.  
Then yes, stretching his legs a bit in somewhere else and thinking of something else would certainly do him some good. There was no hard knock, this time, against his temples, but he could still feel his skull being unpleasantly heavy…

…Jimmy watched the coffee flow from the inside of the rectangle to the bottom of his cup, taking, in the end, the hot drink and walking away… He finally approached the window when he realized that Tim was now behind his desk.

— _Tim !_ he surprisingly said, torn between the lack of desire to talk to anyone and the real need to hide his obvious tiredness.

— Oh, hi, Jimmy.

— What are you…what are you doing here ? he finally asked, not really knowing why he was starting a conversation.

But maybe that was unfair to think that way…Tim was someone really nice, wasn't he…  
He'd almost changed his mind about being secretly resentful against everyone when he remembered that he'd never been really part of their world...  
Yes, that sounded far from logical, but strangely, being angry at other people was making the whole process easier. There was nothing to justify, nor anything to debate about when there was rancor. In fact, you just needed to carry the feeling with you…and simply shut yourself down.

— We need to think of other places to look at, Tim continued, so now we need Lize Samens' opinion about it.

— Oh, yes, that was my understanding…Dr Mallard talked about it. You're not going ?

— I'm joining them in a minute, I just need to…he kept clicking on his computer, Jimmy not really caring about the files showing up onto the screen, only drinking.

— Nice place, he only politely commented.

— Sure it was... You're drinking _coffee_ ? Tim briefly raised his head in his direction.

— Yeah, I'm not as much against it as you are, Jimmy chuckled.

— _Yeah_ , Tim chuckled back. Maybe I should be the one working with Ducky. He's certainly the only one in here I could be drinking tea with… _Al…right…okay,_ he finally added, now I'm ready to go.

Jimmy approached the window again, cup in hand, shortly watching Tim heading to the elevator.

— Hey, Palmer, he added when both silver doors opened up in front of him. Try to get some sleep, alright ? he gently smiled. You look exhausted.

Jimmy only nodded and raised his drink as if to express his agreement, and McGee finally vanished from anyone's sight…

— Well, I'm not very surprised concerning the place where you've found Marine Martin Pitt. Philip and him went there a few times to do some camping. Cassandra was usually joining them, we even came with the group once or twice, didn't we, Damian ?

— I remember very well, he nostalgically smiled. Philip said it was one of the best places on earth to be with friends.

Lize couldn't help but bitterly react as she heard the 'friends' word, but she didn't say anything about it.

— Mrs Samens, Tony asked, do you recognize the place where we've found your brother in law ?

— Can you show me the pictures again ? she sighed another time, pushing away with her hand the other ones of the dead Marine Martin Pitt.

They were not very nice to observe, and anyone who'd have taken a closer look would have probably wanted to immediately get rid of them all, but maybe it was somehow being helpful, this time, if not even _great_ to actually see them. Yes, Philip had saved Cassandra's honor, if not her life.

— _Mrs Samens ?_

— _Uh…_ she sighed, trying to focus. Do you have others, like…one taken from a little bit further ? All I can see for now is basic water.

Gibbs revealed an additional one and waited.

— Wasn't Philip fishing from time to time ? Damian finally said.

— _Y...yes…_ she reacted, eyes still focused on the picture. _Yes_ , she repeated and raised her head, looking at the group of agents. I am so stupid…of course, _I…_ He proposed to my sister near a river, how did I forget ? A…any chance for it to be one ? _Oh my God_ , she pronounced, her mouth under a now shaking palm. _This is so…_ I'm sorry.

— It's alright, honey, Damian said.

— And so what about the other Marine ? Tony asked.

— Alright, let me think of it again…Lize heavily breathed in and out. _I'm…_ oh, I'm sorry, she desperately sighed after a pause, but I've never met him, except shortly on the wedding day… I can perfectly understand _why_ the forest, as both men were supposed to be very good friends and go there…I mean, it was his best man, but, concerning Hirving…do you think Philip might have paid him a visit ?

— No fight reported at work, and I seriously doubt he'd have faced Mrs Hirving and his son, Ziva commented.

— And they are… _or_ _were_ , Tony continued, divorcing anyway because of infidelity, too. We don't know exactly for how long, but…

— _Why am I not surprised…_ Lize bitterly exhaled. It wasn't enough threatening a respectful woman, no, he needed to cheat on his wife, too ?

— _Boss ?_ Tim appeared from behind the door, asking Gibbs to come.

— What is it, McGee ? he approached.

— I've just been thinking…Marine Philip Frank is always choosing a place according to its signification, isn't he.

— Yes, and ?

— Well…if there was no significant place for both of them…after all, he proposed to be the photographer at the wedding, but, beside that, no one seems to know if they had somewhere in common where they were used to go to…

— What do you mean, McGee ?

— What if... _What if_ , he repeated, now lowering the volume, Marine Philip Frank had finally only decided to confront Marine Joshua Hirving and had asked him to come and talk with him at his own place ?

Gibbs briefly glanced at the couple and the two other agents in the room, sighing...

— You think Hirving's body is in Frank's house ?

The NCIS agent walked a little bit further, Jethro quickly following him.

— Well…Tim lowly answered, I'd personally bet on the garden.


	20. The last drink

— So we're finally needed, Ducky looked enchanted.

— Always happy to make you happy, Gibbs neutrally commented.

— Well, where is our unlucky man ?

— _Right here_ , Jethro pointed a finger in the big hole's direction.

— Mr Palmer and myself are thanking you for that, Ducky chuckled before heading to the crime scene, quickly followed by Jimmy.

Tony watched them go and revealed a grimace onto his face.

— _Wow…_ some of us really need some sun. Jimmy's damn white.

— That's the price for dehydration, Gibbs unexpectedly spoke and sighed, before heading to somewhere else.

— _Uh…_ Tim uselessly commented, staring at the two others.

Tony carelessly raised his shoulders, not trying to understand Gibbs' barely logical way of talking, and Ziva simply took a new look at the crime scene... Yes, she had seen a lot of things in her life...usually more horrible than this one, but _still_...a buried body, ten feet from the house ?

— What's wrong, David ? Tony suddenly continued. You're sad because he finally didn't cut his tongue ?

— No, Tony, she turned back and angrily faced him, only for having to endure another day with you !

— Oh, come on, Ziva, it's so much _better_ like this ! Oh yes, he looked delighted, it reminds me of _The Last Supper_ …

— McGee, she boringly grabbed Tim's arm when he seemed ready to leave the duet, why the hell is he now taking about food ?

— It's a movie, Ziva…he smiled. _I think._

— Ha ! You only said that because you guessed it, McGarden ! Tony confronted him. Come on, his eyes begun shining, the agent now revealing bright teeth, _The Last Supper_ , Stacy Title…

— Yeah, what about it, Tony ? Tim rolled his eyes.

— Conversations about politic, five students around a table, dead bodies under the tomatoes plants…

— Never watched, Ziva briefly said without care.

— Neither did I, Tim simply added, before definitely leaving with her.

— _Arrg, come on !_ Tony raised both arms in the sky, don't you guys have _any_ basic knowledge ?

— I didn't watch this movie, Gibbs suddenly pronounced, coming out of nowhere.

— _Hey, boss…!_ Tony jumped and froze. But you… _I mean…_ it's not the same, 'cause you're…pretty busy, with your…boat, _uh_ , your work…and everything.

Gibbs' hand quickly slapped his head and Jethro finally left him all alone, Tony facing again the hole with a mix of fear and admiration.  
A dead body in the garden...he had probably done it at night… Yeah, this was fascinating, for sure, and _definitely_ like in movies…but what on earth could have happened between the two of them ?  
He reflexively scratched his head, thinking...well, after all, maybe they'd never know.

— — — — — — — — — — — —

 _A few days ago…_

— _Hey, Phil…_

 _— Hi, Joshua. Thank you so much for coming._

 _— You know you could have asked for some more time…_

— _I know, but I felt better coming back to work. It keeps me away from overthinking, Marine Joshua Hirving briefly nodded and entered the house, the opposite palm inviting him to do so…_

— _So…you needed pictures ? he asked a bit later, grabbing the cup of coffee the man was giving him. I didn't know which ones you were looking for, so I took almost all of them with me._

— _Yeah, I…well, since Cassandra…he swallowed hardly._

 _Marine Philip Frank revealed shiny eyes but tried holding back the tears, a friendly hand now put onto his shoulder._

 _— Sorry, he smiled. I…I just couldn't find the pictures from the wedding. Maybe she had put them somewhere else. You know, I… I wasn't really the one taking care of these things, before... Anyway, he shortly smiled, I just thought that I might get a new copy from you._

 _— Sure, anything you need. I kept them all. So, you have your computer with you ? he finally asked._

 _— Yeah, let me just grab it._

 _Marine Joshua Hirving didn't get the time to say a word, the gun was already pointing in his direction._

 _— You've learned your text very well…he reflexively raised both hands in the air, bitterly facing the new terrible eyes._

— _I've been practicing, Philip deviously smiled…_

— — — — — — — — — — — —

— …That's him, Jethro ?

— Definitely, Duck.

— Well, he was killed right after his other friend, Marine Martin Pitt. Probably about a dozen of hours of difference, nothing much in my opinion, but well, the body is already a bit 'old', he briefly chuckled.

— I hope he didn't come back home for the night, after that… Can you picture yourself going to bed, knowing that someone is sleeping forever under the bushes ? Tony grimaced.

— I sincerely guess that our dear Marine Philip Frank ended up his life the soonest he could, Ducky shared his opinion. There might be no official proof of it for the moment, but that is what I am gonna put in my report anyway. _What, Jethro..._ he gently sighed when he saw Gibbs ready to talk, did you hear of anyone else missing from their current vacations ?

— They all positively answered the phone, Gibbs, Ziva spoke for him. If anyone is dead in the meantime, there is no way for Frank to be the killer.

— Same bullet type, Jethro, best man and photographer, all working together…accusation of rape. I have to admit this is quite particular this time, as we have numerous proofs of a different kind, but…

— Yeah, boss, Tony continued. It's not as if we had, this time, like fingerprints, or anything else, but come on, you know we're right. We wouldn't need anything else to close this case.

— Mr Palmer and I have to go back to NCIS anyway in order to work on the body, and we might still find something else...if that thought makes you feel a bit better, Jethro. I know you have your 'preferences' about normal investigations' discoveries...

— Go, he then simply said, watching both men leave…

— — — — — — — — — — — —

— …Here we are, Ducky smiled. I found skin from the fingernails. Our two men must have been fighting…

— No doubt that Marine Joshua Hirving must have been trying. He's quite massive. To be honest, I can barely picture him standing where he was, only waiting to die…

— Quite a stereotypical conclusion, Mr Palmer, _but_ I have to say that I might agree with you about that… Could you please send this to Abby, now, although I think I clearly suspect which DNA we will find ? Now that all the tests are finished I am gonna let our man rest in peace, if this is still a possible thing for him, and I am then gonna fill my report in order to send both of us home as quickly as possible. But congratulations, Mr Palmer…suicide it was.

— Well, we'll probably never know about that, but thank you very much…

...Jimmy briefly remembered the previous conversation and approached the bar again, quickly greeting the man in front of him, ordering, this time, something a bit stronger.

— Hard day ?

— End of case, he shortly smiled.

— Never easy, uh ?

— Never easy, Jimmy nodded and gave some cash to the barman, taking what would be his last glass of the night, before leaving.

He guessed that was what people were calling depression. Being depressed...for no reason.  
Well…he was technically knowing why, but…come on, there must have been some kind of prescription, after all this time, no ?  
It was _way_ too late for an identity crisis… He lowly and ironically chuckled, drank his drink in one gulp, and pushed the recipient in the end onto the wooden furniture, saying goodnight to whoever was currently working behind the bar...  
Weekend was about to come, so if no one else had the stupid idea to die between Saturday and Sunday, he would eventually spend two days far away from this _finally_ ending case…taking some time for himself.  
Yes, that was probably this. Not the case itself, in fact, just knowing that _this_ case, which had led to his breakdown…was now over.  
Yeah, anyway…whatever the twisted reason was, he was not interested to know...

...He started walking down the stairs, near the bridge, switching on his phone in order to see his messages…  
Almost 3am.  
He yawned and kept moving.

— _Oh, dear..._ he sighed.

Jimmy rubbed his tired eyes another time and finally stopped for another second, his view getting blurrier and his steps more confused.  
Morality ? _Stairs :_ _bad idea.  
_ Well, there weren't _many_ of them, and they were large enough for a man to sleep on it...

Oh, 'Sleep'…

Well, a few more, and he'd easily reach the next avenue.  
Yeah, all he wanted now was his bed, and sooner would definitely be best.

3am on his phone clock...nothing but silence...

' _Frank is definitely the murderer. Good job, Doctors ! '  
_ Jimmy quickly smiled when he read Abby's old message, finally raising a tired head, looking now for which way to follow…

He missed one of the very last stairs and clumsily fell onto the floor, his left temple hitting another one…  
His phone fell nearby, and he never showed up at work the next morning.


	21. The missing one

— Lize Samens couldn't believe it…

— What did she say ? Tony asked Tim.

— She told me she still couldn't believe it, that if it had been her decision to make, she'd certainly have broken both Marine Martin Pitt's legs instead of one, and same about his arms.

— _Well, some of us are combative…_

 _—_ What about Hirving ? Ziva asked.

— Nothing much. She just said she wished he would die in Hell and burn.

— _Is that all ?_ Tony chuckled with understanding.

— What, I would have said the exact same thing, Ziva commented. These people really deserved to die.

— _Well_ , Tony finally pronounced, fingers crossed behind his neck, life sucks, sometimes…

Tim rolled his eyes and typed a few words on his computer's keypad, looking at the agent next to him.

— Very thoughtful, Tony, he grimaced, I'm pretty sure that Marine Philip Frank would have appreciated that conclusion.

— Yes, remind me to repeat this on your funeral day…Ziva added.

— Very suspicious to say, David, especially coming from a dangerous Israelian…

— You know what, Tony ? she suddenly turned incredibly mad, why don't you follow Pitt and Hirving, and simply go to H…

— _Duck ?_ Gibbs interrupted the future crazy speech, noticing the curious arrival of the medical examiner.

— _Hello, Jethro..._ he lowly said, his eyes visibly lost behind a fog of worries.

— Is everything alright ? Ziva finally gently asked, anger slowly vanishing from her facial expression.

— Did any of you see Mr Palmer ? Ducky asked, now facing the bullpen.

Gibbs approached a bit closer, coffee in hands.

— Did you check in Abby's lab ? Tim nicely spoke. I'm sure she might have been asking for him as soon as she noticed he had some free time.

— Sounds like her style, Jethro simply nodded, taking a sip of his drink.

— No, I would be extremely surprised…you do not understand, he quickly followed, the group of agents strangely staring at him now, when I am saying that I am looking for Mr Palmer, it is a true fact, I have honestly no idea where he can be.

— Told you he needed sun, Tony briefly smiled, pushing his back against his seat. He must be sick or something...

— Gibbs ? Ziva normally asked, Jethro only discreetly nodding in return.

Ziva started clicking on her computer, deeply focused on whatever her new task was.

— _Jethro, can I talk to you ?_ Ducky asked.

Gibbs nodded and started walking to the elevator, his ME by his side.

— Dinozzo, McGee.

— Yes, boss ? Tim spoke first.

— I want you to finish your reports. _Now._

— _On it_ , Tony executed, Tim silently agreeing too.

Gibbs watched the doors of the elevator close in front of him, the silver cage now only keeping the two men for itself.

— He would have called, Jethro…

— He might only be late, it's still early, but, you know...Jimmy in not really himself, nowadays, Ducky, Gibbs sighed. Maybe he wouldn't have called.

— What are you saying, Jethro…of course, he would have done so. He cares enough about me for telling me if he couldn't manage to come.

— Of course, he does, Duck, but…

— But _what_ , Jethro ? I do not understand a single word of what you are saying...

— Maybe he really didn't want to come, alright ? Gibbs finally admitted.

Ducky raised a questioning head and opened his mouth in order to ask for more, but Gibbs' phone suddenly vibrated and revealed a message onto its screen.

He raised a hand and touched the ME's arm, the elevator finally opening in front of him.

— I'll explain it to you later, Duck, now go back to work, I have something to do.

…Gibbs hurried without explanation and entered his vehicle, staring again at Ziva's message. She had traced Jimmy's number for the second time without asking questions, and it was more than confusing. Yes, Palmer's was supposed to be under a bridge…since last night.  
He drove to the address his agent had sent him and quickly walked down the stairs when he finally reached them, bending down a little as he saw the few drops of blood no one had noticed yet…  
He slowly moved his hand in the end to one corner, and grabbed what he had expected to find…  
Jimmy's phone.

He sighed and briefly took a look at the sky, looking for fresh ideas.

— _Hey !_ he finally said and stood up, a woman approaching the bridge with her dog. NCIS Agent, have you seen anyone hurt around here ?

The stranger grabbed her pet between both arms and shyly walked in Gibbs' direction, nodding…

— They _did_ find someone a bit earlier. A young boy who was brought to the hospital.

— Thank you, Jethro coldly said before leaving, slamming the door of his vehicle after he sat inside of it, briefly rubbing his worried face…

— — — — — — — — — —

…Gibbs hurried inside the room after the woman at the reception had given him the number of the door and finally faced a Palmer in a pretty bad shape. He took a look at his NCIS young colleague in his bed, bandage around the head, apparently sleeping… He wouldn't wake him up yet, no. He needed to rest first. But he _wanted_ informations.

Alright, he needed coffee. _Now._

— … _you shouldn't be leaving now, Mr Palmer_ , the woman said.

— _You don't understand_ , the other voice answered. _I wasn't aware at all of the time, I am supposed to work, and I'm already late…_

— _Yes, you are, and you're gonna be, but this only because you had an accident, sir…_

 _— I'm…I'm sorry, I really need to go, now._

Gibbs heard the amazing conversation when he approached the room an hour later, his new dark cup between fingers. That could not be true…

— Listen, the voice became louder, I do understand your worries, but…I do not miss work, alright ? Jimmy sincerely tried to explain, I really have to go…

— _Palmer ?_ Gibbs finally said as he entered the room. What the hell are you doing, and talking about ?

The nurse next to Jimmy sighed and walked away for a minute or two, Gibbs' glance silently indicating her that the situation was now in good hands…or at least, taken cared of.  
Jimmy watched Gibbs with surprise, feeling bad for being seen in the middle of an hospital room during working hours, and still visibly mad to realize who was standing again in front of him...

— Listen, I have no idea why you are here, Agent Gibbs, he coldly pronounced, but I'm sorry for being late. I am calling a cab, and…

— _No, no, no…_ Jethro nervously started chuckling, stopping Jimmy with a palm, this has to be a joke…you're going to work, Palmer ? You're fighting with a nurse because you're late ? I don't know if you've noticed, he ironically smiled, but you have something around your head.

— I fell, it was only an accident ! Anyway, I see you later, Agent Gibbs, Jimmy sighed, trying to move away.

— _Hey !_ Jethro interrupted him. You're not going anywhere ! So now you put your butt onto a chair and you're listening to me.

Gibbs' face had suddenly turned extremely serious...  
Jimmy sighed for another time and reluctantly sat on the nearest seat, already hating his horrible life.


	22. Fighting the demons

Gibbs thought back of the very recent morning, confused as hell. It had been like watching a crazy movie of his own life, the speeding of the time increasing throughout the minutes… Yes, he remembered his team, stupidly talking and fighting again, Ducky looking for Palmer…and a handful of seconds later, he'd been already out there, checking blood on stairs, then heading to that hospital…  
Could someone tell him again what had exactly happened ?  
Yes, what could have _possibly_ happened on earth for things to turn _that_ bad ?  
Gibbs momentarily stared at the walls, prisoner of his own thoughts… Everything had been and still was going so fast in his head...the previous dialogues, the drive itself…some details were missing from his memories, it was way too unclear, and he didn't like that…

A branch softly hitting the room's window suddenly took him away from the silent questions he was asking to himself and made him focus again on Jimmy, although he didn't show anyhow that his mind had been shortly flying away from reality.

— What's going on, Palmer ? he finally asked, facing Jimmy.

— No, why don't _you_ tell me what is going on ! he unexpectedly attacked. I've been doing what you asked me to do during the whole week, now I just want to go back to work !

Gibbs seemed ready to retort, but Jimmy immediately continued.

— You don't want me to go back now to NCIS ? he asked with a calmer voice, but still visibly angry one. _Fine_ , I'll take a day off, but there is no way for you to make me talk again about anything.

Jimmy briefly stopped his violent speech, pressing both eyelids as some pain was now knocking again against his skull.

— Palmer, you alright ?

— _I'm fine_ , Jimmy bitterly pronounced as he opened his eyes.

Yes, this simple wound might be very painful from time to time, but there was no way for Palmer to let Gibbs pretend that he was actually caring… The NCIS Agent was not a bad person, and he had already said it, but Jethro was way too good at changing the subject.  
If only they had given him something stronger… He guessed that was the consequence for not being sober when they found him…  
He sighed and retried to focus on the situation. Yes, whether or not he had _officially_ drank too much, truth was, anyway, that he had definitely drank _a lot._  
At least, he didn't break any of his teeth when he fell...

— _Yes_ , Palmer, Gibbs' voice continued, you _are_ gonna take a damn day off…if not ten !

— Well, thank you very much, but I am free to do as I want ! Jimmy surprisingly faced a darker feeling of angriness.

Normal Jimmy would have immediately stopped acting this way, but the new, if not 'real' version of himself, was now hardly struggling with irritation, as if someone had injected him a million grams of testosterone, as if life had repeatedly punched him _right_ in the face, years after years, waiting for him to react… Now was definitely the time for revenge, and if Jimmy's faith was then to spend the rest of his existence paying the price for his behavior, well, he'd accept it…  
The pain in his body and skull brusquely, secretly increased again, but Jimmy promised himself not to show any sign of weakness to Gibbs.

— What is going on, Palmer…! Jethro worriedly turned impatient.

— _What is going on ?_ he strangely smiled. I am _tired_ of your questions, and _constant_ accusations. If you keep on harassing me like that, Agent Gibbs, I'm gonna have to hire a lawyer, he briefly, ironically chuckled.

Jimmy finally stood up again, putting on his trousers from under his hospital gown.

— Feel free to watch, he dryly warned.

After all, 'Mr Gibbs' was not his father, and he had the right to go wherever he wanted. He unbuttoned his previous outfit after he put on his two socks again and revealed then his torso for a minute, his shirt between hands.  
 _God, that was hurting…_

A nurse came in and revealed both surprised eyes, wondering what could have happened in the meantime...

— Ah, you're here, she heard him pronounce, the speeding and tone of his voice making her feel nervous. Can I call a taxi service from the hospital ?

— _We…_ we do have one, naturally, but…

— I know, I know, he almost naturally spoke, I shouldn't be leaving now, I have a check-up tomorrow. I'll be here, no worries, he continued, feeling the cramp in his arm as he wore his jacket.

 _Really, he needed to get out of here..._

— Can you, _uh_ , sign…the woman asked, visibly disturbed.

— Sure, Jimmy quickly smiled, grabbing the pen that was given to him, Gibbs still staring at the scene in a silent state of shock.

— Here we...go ! Jimmy finished signing, that same strange energy taking control of him, but he suddenly pressed both eyelids again, a corner of his skull sending for the umpteenth time of the morning his painful signal…

Jimmy couldn't help but raising a hand to the wound, this time, although he really wished he wouldn't have showed it to anyone, _especially not Gibbs._

 _—_ Okay, this is not funny anymore, Gibbs started to say.

— Mr Palmer, the nurse confirmed, somehow, his words, you probably _shouldn't…_

— I've done all of your medical tests, right ? You know, I'm a doctor myself, I can perfectly fig…

— Yeah, you wish, Gibbs dryly reacted, Jimmy revealing his coldest facial expression ever in return, repositioning his jacket's collar. You're not going anywhere, Palmer.

— Well, _watch me_ , Agent Gibbs, Jimmy confronted him and left the room, facing the nurse one last time near the door. Ask for a doctor to visit me if that worries you that much, he said. Put it on my tab ! he seriously added before he joined the hospital's corridor, now only focused on his walk, painful knocks violently attacking him another time.

Gibbs felt like he needed a second to think and finally went out of the room as well, looking for him. And it did not take a lot of time before he could find out where he was.

— …e _xcuse me, you do not look very well, sir._

— _I'm good, thank you for as…_

— _Sir, are you alright ?_ someone else insisted.

— _I'm…I'm good, thank you very much…_ Jimmy suddenly forced a smile. _I…I just need a minute._

Gibbs immediately followed the voices and turn left, noticing Palmer's shaking hand pushed against the wall.

— _A wheelchair !_ he asked anyone, approaching in a hurry Jimmy and the two hospital's strangers…'if not three strangers' he thought.

— I was saying that I didn't need…he tried to fight back and stay angry for what was, this week, Gibbs' millionth intervention, but his head was now hurting at an incredible level, the world around him beginning to spin a little.

— Are you _insane_ , Palmer ? Jethro worriedly confronted him.

— I don't know wh… _what is going on…_ Jimmy's voice suddenly lowered against his will. But I'm sure it's gon… _gonna p_ …he tried to pronounce, heavy groans finally coming out of his mouth as he felt like he couldn't handle anything else. Jimmy hoped it would pass eventually, but sadly realized that he had no other choice, this time, than to reflexively free his hand, raising it to his forehead...

— _Palmer._

Gibbs' voice became almost inaudible for a second, as well as any other hospital sounds, before it all came back to normal. Jimmy felt it coming, and didn't manage to stop it. He brusquely threw up onto the floor and felt his face turn paler, Gibbs' arms now tightened around his waist… Now someone was coming with something looking like a wheelchair…

— _Palmer_ , the voice strangely echoed from far away. _Palmer_ , it repeated.

Jimmy's view turned blurrier and blurrier and he felt it harder than before to do a simple thing, such as breathing, but he was too tired to figure it out…  
He just tried to say anything, but could only slowly blink once or twice, in the end…before passing out.


	23. Gibbs gets an earful

— _I came as soon as I could, Jethro…_ Ducky seemed breathless as he approached Gibbs. What happened to Mr Palmer ?

— He fell near a bridge after what looked like a drinking night, and when he tried leaving the hospital this morning, he turned mad again, Gibbs sighed.

— What do you mean by 'again' ? the ME hardly pronounced. And what about the hospital ? he turned madder. How on earth could you have known about where he was, did he call you ?

Gibbs noticed the blushing slowly increasing onto Ducky's cheeks as he heard the numerous questions, the old man trying to figure things out about the recent situation. Well, now was the time for details, and he'd probably regret it, but after all these secrets that he'd kept, he guessed he probably deserved it.

— I traced his phone for the second time of the week. When Ziva confirmed me where he was, I directly headed to the hospital. But I was about to call you, he insisted on that point, I just needed to talk to him first.

— _Wh…_ Ziva knew about this, too…? _And…_

Gibbs didn't say a thing and only let him process for a minute, inviting him to sit on one of the seats available around, and no more than five or ten minutes later, he had told him the whole story about Palmer...

— _I cannot believe my ears…!_ Ducky seriously spoke as he stood up, the tone of his voice indicating the betrayal's level that he was currently feeling.

— I knew you were having a hard time trying to speak to him, so I just thought of working on the problem my own way, until you, or Jimmy, would be ready again, he explained.

Ducky nervously walked a few steps away from him, barely noticing the space around, or the small amount of people waiting for their turn in different corners. Gibbs then simply decided to wait for the man to come back to him, but the NCIS' ME finally headed outside, Jethro instantly following him.

— Hey, Duck, what are you doing ?

— Experiencing madness, Jethro…he bitterly answered, now leaving the hospital entrance, feet onto the outside's stairs.

— Look, I'm sorry, Duck, I was really trying to…

— To do it _your own way_ , Jethro, thank you, but I already had understood it the first time you have said it.

— It was a stupid accident...Gibbs sighed, there was nothing we could have done, and you know it.

— Yes, a stupid accident, after an umpteenth time of drinking, Dr Mallard lowly sighed. _I know_ , he tried to calm down a bit, some wind now refreshing his face as he stared at the parking lot, depressed or not, alcohol or not, Mr Palmer could have fallen anywhere else and hurt himself, but what I do not understand, Jethro, _yes_ , what I really do not understand, is you telling this boy to fake happiness with me ! It makes it even worst, because we both know he has recently been experiencing a really bad time, but however serious it could have been, did you ever think that I ever would have truly appreciated working with someone forcing himself to behave well because someone else had told him doing so ? Don't you have _any respect_ for me, Jethro ?

Gibbs noticed the madness again in the man's eyes, and he really wished he could say something right, for once.

— Listen, Duck, it was not the best idea in the world, I get it, but come on, it's work, anyway. Everybody can pretend anything when they're working. Millions of Americans are doing so.

— For 99% of them, I would definitely agree with you, _but this is NCIS_ , Jethro, this is our team ! You may not work things out the best way possible when it comes for one of your agents to be in trouble, but don't you dare telling me that you are not doing anything to solve the problem when you find out about it, and don't you dare telling me that you are not forcing them to tell you what the hell is going on ! Oh, you do know how much respect I do have for you, Jethro, Ducky sighed and walked a few steps away, so please do me a favor and do not play the hypocrite with me.

Jethro rubbed his neck and glanced at the sky, not really caring about it, just looking for something else to do, rather than having to face Ducky's desperation and disappointment...  
The ME dived both hands in his pockets and slowly moved a bit more, carelessly, too, staring at the landscape. Gibbs could definitely see that he was now overthinking.

— _Duck._

— I was already so mad at myself for having let this situation continue this way, he interrupted him, and now, this.

— Nobody could have seen it coming, Ducky. He turned mad one day, and then he was verbally fighting with anyone, trying to hide his pain with beers, or God knows what else…

The NCIS' ME finally approached the agent again, sadness in his eyes, wind keeping on tensing his old facial features...

— You have your own methods, Jethro, he slowly said, but _I_ am the one making psychological reports. I am not a real shrink, and I will not deny it, but beside my obvious small, official qualification, there is nothing too surprising in Mr Palmer's behavior. He is mad at the world, Jethro, and more than anything, mad at _himself_. I will not pretend knowing everything about his past, nor saying that he has faced unimaginable things that led him to that, but…sometimes, it only starts with simple things. Yes, like many other people, Jimmy realized he had only been the shadow of himself, and that, for _years_ , and now he is fighting against himself, and it is killing him inside. He is just like a time bomb, completely unpredictable... He now wants people's consideration, but certainly feels at the same time that he needs to be left alone in order to process…especially when others brusquely try to access his private life without his consent.

Gibbs noticed the new bitterness in the last sentence, but he didn't comment.

— He is not some fragile flower people desperately need to protect…the ME continued, otherwise, he would have certainly left after all these years of listening to thousands of my stories without a word, facing your heavy glances and silences when he was sharing his...Ducky sadly chuckled. You know, human beings are capable of the worst, and it _does_ include myself. Now I see how hard it can have been for him, or at least how constantly irritating, even if he didn't show it anyhow. I see it now only because I know that I have almost lost him…in so many ways…

— You cannot blame yourself for the world, as you say, it isn't only about NCIS, Gibbs finally put a palm onto the ME's shoulder.

— Oh, what on earth were you thinking, Jethro…Ducky involuntarily moved away from the hand, lost again in his thoughts. Coming in that bar...without telling anyone, paying a whisky to that boy, forcing him to talk… Even if it had been a friendly meeting in the middle of a sunny afternoon, it would have looked the same. You never gave a chance to Mr Palmer to know you, nor ever tried to know him either, and here you are, suddenly pushing your so well known pressure on him, putting him in a very bad position…

— I don't know, Duck, Gibbs started walking down the stairs, before facing the old man again, I don't know, I thought…

— You thought you could show him that you actually cared a bit, Ducky sadly smiled again. I will not blame the intention, but can you really swear that it was completely noble ? Jethro, were you really trying to save that boy from his new life's nightmare, or were you only proving to yourself that the famous 'Gibbs' power' needed to be used ?

— I do not have a 'power', Duck…

— I do not have any doubt anymore concerning the rest of your team, Jethro, because as much as I know that this kind of…'controlling method' is important for you, I know, too, that you really know and care about your agents, so whatever the reason is under it, in the end, the result will finally lead to something, to some kind of recovery…but come on, Jethro, you do not know Jimmy enough to tell me that you _simply_ , and _purely_ decided to help him. You wanted the situation to be fixed, and that was all.

Gibbs quickly rubbed his face and suddenly sat down onto one of the stairs, staying in the corner of one of them, trying not to bother anyone trying to access the automatic doors of the hospital. Ducky walked in his direction and finally slowly sat down, in turn, staring at the NCIS agent, himself now staring at the sky.

— Maybe you're right, Gibbs slowly pronounced. And I would lie by saying that Palmer is my new best friend, but...things changed anyway. I do care now.

— What could have possibly changed in one week ?

— You know, when I was holding him in my arms, earlier...watching him pass out, I just saw his eyes closing, and I thought…he sighed. I thought 'damn it, he could be one of my kids'. So young, and so pale...

Ducky briefly smiled, this time, not in the saddest way ever, only considering what had just been admitted.

— Yes, Jethro, I think I already heard it somewhere…probably when you talk to me about Ziva, Tony, and Timothy... You do not have to show them the same love, or respect, or whatever the name you want to put on that feeling, but…they are your _family_...

And suddenly, as if they'd heard that the conversation's subject was about them, Ziva, Tony, and Tim all appeared next to the duet, the three NCIS silhouettes piercing the grey weather.

— _Ziva ?_ Jethro asked.

— I told them we needed to come, Gibbs. Secrets do not count anymore when someone is lying in an hospital bed, she smiled.

— You're coming, Tony asked, followed by Tim, or you prefer to stay under the rain ?

Ducky raised his head in the sky's direction and noticed the heavy clouds, all now seeming ready to explode...

Yeah, they'd better all be heading inside.


	24. Family meeting

Jimmy Palmer didn't open his eyes but seemed to be aware again that he was lying on a bed...somewhere. His head was making him suffer again, although he was not really sure of why, but he was definitely too tired to even reveal a painful facial expression.  
He only guessed it would pass…eventually.  
Nausea was now playing with his stomach and he then barely pictured, if not clearly remembered, that he must have been throwing up at some point… _oh God, he hated his life.  
_ He slowly tried to sat up onto his bed in the dark, his new body position making his head heavier than before. He took a look at the window…not night already. Only an awful, shadowy weather… _how depressing.  
_ Jimmy carefully bent down and stroked his head with both slightly shaking hands, hoping to forget everything, still not minding, nor caring where he actually was...

— Hey, Jimmy.

Jimmy jumped a little as he heard the voice and finally slowly turned his head in its direction… Now he could definitely remember the hospital, according to the atrocious decoration of the place.  
He noticed in the end the leather jacket waiting in the half darkness, his owner sitting on a chair, nearby…

— Tim…? _Wh…_ what are you doing here ? And why am I…he finally stopped, not really knowing if he really wanted to know.

— Some people have been worried about you, McGee kindly, but seriously smiled.

— _I..._ Jimmy uselessly tried to think of anything to say, but the NCIS agent in front of him was already dialing a number on his phone.

— _He's awake_ , he lowly said, before hanging up.

— _Wh…_

 _—_ How do you feel, Jimmy ? Tim asked after a pause, visibly concerned.

— I'm good.

— Well, you don't look very good, Palmer.

Jimmy needed a second to understand, only seeing Tim, but hearing a different voice. He finally got his answer when Tony and Ziva opened the door, cups of coffee between hands.

— Hi, Jimmy, Ziva smiled, immediately sitting on a second chair, Tony waiting against the wall.

— Why didn't you tell us anything, Palmer ? Tony continued.

— _Hi…Ziva_ , Jimmy pronounced a bit later, still not completely processing what was now happening to him, the three agents visibly waiting for some answers he was not willing to give.

— _So..._ when can you leave that ugly place ? she unexpectedly asked.

Tony discreetly smiled from his spot. Yeah, David had understood everything.

— I don't know about that, Jimmy forced a smile.

— Then we'll celebrate your return in some nice bar when you'll be perfectly again on your feet, she nicely continued. I heard that you've been practicing a bit, and I would _kill_ to see the three of you completely drunk at my table ! she energically chuckled. You should definitely see McGee when he has taken his third cocktail…

— _Hey…_ Tim groaned.

— _What_ , McTequila, no one is gonna deny it, Tony continued the teasing.

Jimmy couldn't help but funnily react to that, appreciating Ziva's way of relaxing the current atmosphere...  
He finally rubbed his eyes and sighed, staring at all of them.

— We're sorry, Jimmy, Tim suddenly admitted. We should have noticed.

— _Listen, you…_

— Yeah, we should definitely do something together more often, Tony said. We're supposed to be a team, right ?

— Look, you don't have... _really…_

— Come on, give us the benefit of the doubt, Jimmy, Ziva nicely interrupted him, too. We haven't been doing a lot together, that's true, so let us, at least, decide if we want to renew the experience !

— I promise that we'll not insist if we feel like you're too boring for us, Tony teased him again.

— Alright...Jimmy simply smiled another time. Works for me, then.

Ziva stood up from her seat and approached the bed, gently giving a kiss on his cheek, Tony's heart slightly jumping at the sight of the tender scene. She then turned around and grabbed the paper with all the patient's informations, quickly reading the badly written elements…

— _So_ , she said, what's next ?

— ...First, I would advise some more sleep, another voice, older this time, came from nowhere, Jimmy now surprisingly staring at Ducky and Gibbs as they both entered the room.

— _D…_ Dr Mallard ?

— You are a Doctor yourself, Mr Palmer, so how could you have been thinking that running away from an hospital after such a trauma would have done you some good ?

— _I…_ to be honest _,_ I didn't think of…

— Well, he nicely continued, if there is in here some kind of meeting, then I guess it is my time to do my mea culpa, he lowly chuckled.

— It is true that this place is getting quite crowded, Jimmy nervously chuckled back, _but…_

— _Yes_ , this is a family meeting, Ducky, Gibbs suddenly confirmed from behind, Ziva, Tim and Tony discreetly smiling as they heard the words, knowing he'd never repeat them again.

— Well, nurses won't be too happy about that, but I guess now that we have an excuse, Tony looked amused…

— — — — — — — — — — —

 _A few days later…_

— …so yeah, she was pretty pissed off, Tony added.

— _Tony !_

— What, David…

— She was not 'pissed off', she was shocked ! Remember what happened to her sister ?

Tony simply groaned as if to say he'd understood, Jimmy only sincerely smiling, drinking his coffee next to him…

— _Still talking about the previous case ?_ Gibbs entered the working space.

— _Yes, we are_ , Ducky smiled, and I have to say that taking a little break is not that bad. Oh, that makes me think of…if you will excuse me for a minute, Abigail just called me, and this time, I happily have to say, the _normal_ way.

— No more heart attack with video chats ? Tim asked.

— Not anymore…the ME chuckled, but well, let's just hope she keeps it that way.

— So, wait, Jimmy spoke again to the rest of the group, are you really sure that Lize Samens talked to you about the Marine's broken leg ? I mean, how could she have possibly known ?

— Hasn't she seen a few pictures of the crime scene ? Ziva asked.

— Well, yes, according to what you told me, he took another sip of his drink, but I'm pretty sure that no one has ever _told_ her about this. And I seriously doubt she has perfectly analyzed the whole picture and noticed the broken leg hidden under a trousers, instead of focusing on the deadly wound. I wouldn't, personally, if I wasn't doing this job, Jimmy raised a palm to his torso.

— Now that makes sense...

— Did anyone gave her back the diary ? Jimmy asked again.

— _I didn't_ , Tim shook his head, the other ones imitating him.

— _Wow…do you think Frank actually told her about his plan ?_ Tony wondered.

— _What if she's even been watching…_ Tim thought of the possibility, not knowing what it was really inspiring him.

— _But then, what about Hirving ? What could have she possibly done to him ?_ Ziva said...

The group of voices suddenly lowered inside Gibbs' curious ears, his phone now vibrating in his pocket. He sighed as he saw the name written on it, but simply decided to answer the call…

— Director Vance ? he asked, before pausing. Any proofs ? he then robotically kept on asking, the man on the other side strangely agreeing with his own thoughts. _Alright_ , thanks...

Jimmy, Ziva, Tim and Tony suddenly stopped talking and took a look at their boss as he hung up the call, wondering if there might be a new case to work on… Break had been nicely appreciated, but they all knew they'd be ready to move as soon as he would be asking for it. Gibbs quickly put the phone back in his pocket and approached again the group of younger people.

— Something wrong, boss ? Tony questioned him.

— No, he neutrally commented. Director Vance just called me. Seems like there has been an incident yesterday at Hirving's last known place. _Fire_ , he added before anyone would guess it.

As expected, they all revealed wide open eyes, Ziva immediately asking what everyone was dying to know.

— Any suspect ? I mean, a man doesn't come back from death to burn his own place.

— They do sometimes, in movies.

— _Oh, shut up, Tony…_

— Probably, Gibbs continued. But seems like there is no proof to find, so I guess we'll never know, he simply ended the conversation's subject, everyone nodding at the explanation. _Alright_ , everyone up.

— Well, we see you later, Jimmy, Tim smiled before heading to the elevator, Tony softly tapping Palmer's shoulder before following the group.

— _Bye, everyone,_ he waved at his teammates.

Jimmy discreetly smiled and immediately approached the desk of his working place, finishing his coffee, waiting for Dr Mallard…well, it had been a nice chat.

Yes, now that he was really thinking of it, it was probably the first time he wasn't forcing a smile since he had had this accident, and he honestly had to say that it was quite appreciated, if not a bit strange.  
He would certainly be lying to himself by saying that everything was going perfectly well in the world and that he was now completely used to his new, affirmed personality, but there was still a great improvement. Yes, pretty soon they'd all go for a drink, or maybe grab something to eat, and he would see if anyone was really willing to know him. Well, maybe it wouldn't be like this and he would be disappointed, although he seriously doubted it, but at least, he would definitely know...and well, if things were turning that bad… _he'd move on._

— You alright, Palmer ?

Jimmy suddenly turned back, surprised to still be seeing him in here.

— Agent Gibbs, he raised a questioning eyebrow, I thought you had left. _Do…_ do you need anything else ?

— No, he simply said, approaching a bit. I just want to be sure that you are alright. It has been quite a hard week, hasn't it...he briefly smiled, pointing a finger at his own head.

— Yeah, well...Jimmy almost stared at the floor, I'm doing my best, Agent Gibbs, he lowly smiled. _Listen_ , he nervously started to say after heavily breathing in, _I'm..._

— _No._ I'm the one who should be. I'm sorry, Palmer, Gibbs raised a palm in front of him and came a little bit closer, putting his own coffee cup onto one of the tables. I'm sorry that you felt that way and that I didn't help your situation getting better.

Jimmy smiled a bit, then deeply stared at him.

— _Uh_ , he nervously exhaled, I thought it was a sign of…I mean, I don't know perfectly your rules, but…

But Gibbs didn't let him finish and simply unexpectedly hugged him, repeating again the three syllables nobody was never used to hear from him…

Jimmy didn't know if it last a simple second or an eternity, only trying to appreciate the moment he had, somehow, waited since forever…until Jethro finally got a bit away from him, staring at him with serious eyes.

— Agent Gibbs, _I…_ Jimmy tried to pronounced, with shiny eyes.

— Now, go back to work, Palmer, we have things to do, Gibbs slowly raised a hand to the young man's skull, gently slapping the back of it, for the first time, as well…

Jethro turned back and discreetly chuckled as he finally walked away, automatic doors inviting him to go out, heading to the elevator...

— _Duck_ , he pronounced as he reached the silver cage, suddenly facing the old ME, I see you later. Whisky ?

— As always. I see you later, then, Jethro...Ducky smiled, not ready to admit that he'd been waiting a whole minute in here, absolutely not ready to interrupt what had just been an incredible 'Jethro moment.'


End file.
